Shrouded in Darkness
by Seena58
Summary: Someone is out to kill Daisuke and Dark... and it isn't just Krad this time... what is going on? Only time will tell... in the end... New students, mixed up pasts, who isn't annoyed? Interlude chapter up.
1. Chapter I: Unknown Dread

This is Seena58, with the newest story ever! If you're thinking that it's weird that I'm starting another story without finishing the ones I already have, then, let me tell you, I am that type of person. Of course, it may take some time, but I'll manage. This would be my... fourth DNAngel fic, then.  
  
This story is more of a mystery/horror/action-adventure/fantasy type of story, with hints of romance and all. I'm not too good at romance type scenes, but I think I can manage it.  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own this, nor can I control where this story will go. The darkness is taking over... oh yeah; I own the newer introduced characters, obviously. All originals...  
  
Summary for Chap I: _"There is no need to fight back... for you have already lost..."_ The darkness is spreading, and there is no way out...  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Chapter I: Unknown Dread  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Dark clouds crept across the sky, filling the once clear void a dreary, murky grey colour, while the sun was pushed under the skyline as the darkness took over, with it the feeling of dread. The soft fluttering of wings rent through the unnatural silence, and the shadows of birds filled the darkening sky, leaving their wake a scattering of feathers. Even when they were out of sight, the whispering of the wind hung around, hovering weakly like a spirit that was trying to fight to be seen and heard. However, the heavy blanket of silence overpowered the sound, bringing the scene to a standstill.  
  
Nothing but silence.  
  
Darkness swept over the towering buildings within the city, wrapping them with the power, which sealed the city into a tight dome, allowing nothing to either enter or escape. Everything in sight was covered with the power. A cold power, which had entered unexpectedly, and had grown stronger each day it remained there, where no one could fight back.  
  
The power was taking over. The silence was deafening. Not a single living creature could be seen within the smothering grasp of the unknown force. Only one person stood, alone, staring wistfully at the world outside, waiting for a sign, a symbol to tell him that not everything was lost. Silence floated in his head, but, still, he waited.  
  
The sound of footsteps broke the silence unexpectedly, making him turn. The tapping continued, echoing eerily and rebounding within the magically enhanced dome. The sound was slowly growing louder – whoever it was, they were coming towards him. Each step seemed to be carefully measured, and the person was obviously in no hurry, as if they knew that he would not move. They were right, as he seemed glued to the floor, unable to move because of the gripping fear which had swallowed the last of his courage, immobilizing him completely. His eyes were wide with terror, sweat rolling off his forward as he was forced to stand there – in the stuffy silence, which was only broken by the echoing of steadily advancing footsteps.  
  
Swirls of white mist began to weave their way towards him as the echoing became louder. His vision was obscured by the dark and the white mist, both circling around him, like a magical barrier, which didn't allow him ant movement. A soft, soothing voice, which held a hint of unknown venom, whispered to him, deep within the crevices of his mind, where he could not fight back.  
  
"_There is no need for you to run, you have nothing left now, so nothing matters anymore,"_ the cold power seemed to seep through his skin, numbing every part of his body, _"just let us end this... I do not want to play this little game with you anymore... we will finish it now..."_  
  
Something brushed his cheek, making his blood freeze in terror. His confidence had already crumpled under the mental assault, and his mind was no longer screaming for him to be running away. It was hollow, with the information sinking into him slowly. Everything he had loved, everything that had been precious to him... gone. It was all gone...  
  
He felt his legs buckle under the crushing force of defeat, and, echoing with the footsteps, was the voice.  
  
_"Yes... give up. No more pain... for either one of us... no need to fight back, for you have already lost... let it all wash away... like the blood within your body... dripping away slowly..."_  
  
In the ringing silence which followed, the mist became thicker, filling his field of vision with clammy water-vapour. His eyes slowly began to lose its brightness, leaving no more than a deep faded amber glow. But before the voice could seal his fate away, however, a stronger, firmer voice called out, accompanied by faster running footsteps.  
  
"Don't listen to that bastard! Wake up dammit!" it called furiously, "You're stronger than you think!"  
  
With that, a larger body tackled him out of the mist prison and both people fell heavily against the floor. Once the colour had returned in his eyes, the smaller boy gave the other an astonished look.  
  
"Run," said his rescuer – who was an older male – not bothering to push the violet strands of hair away from his face, "come on. Let's get out of here before he comes."  
  
Hauling the smaller boy up with him, they both ran into the darkness, cutting through the thin tendrils of mist, and the air was filled with the sound of running footsteps and their heavy breathing. Behind them, they could hear the soft voice creeping behind them, like an invisible spirit.  
  
_"Why do you fight fate? You cannot escape it, no matter how hard you try..."_  
  
"Ignore it," commanded the taller boy sharply, keeping a firm grip on the other's wrist, "we will be getting out of this hell hole. We still have time--"  
  
_"It is too late..."_  
  
Both boys stopped running abruptly. The voice had definitely been closer that time and calm footsteps advanced upon the pair. The older of the two swore under his breath, before pulling the smaller one to face him. Amber eyes met amethyst.  
  
"I'll slow him down. You keep running. Don't look back, no matter what you hear," he gave his host an encouraging push in the direction of escape, "don't worry about me, I'll be fine!"  
  
The smaller boy stumbled slightly, only taking a few steps forward before turning around, "No! I'm not leaving without you!"  
  
His voice shook with uncontrollable fear, but he stayed where he was, trying hard to ignore his mind, which was, once again, shrieking that he shouldn't be there, but running for dear life.  
  
"We don't have time to be arguing about this!" the other bellowed sharply, not turning around, "Run, or he'll end up getting both of--"  
  
His sentence was cut short by a sudden blast of red energy, which cut through the darkness like a knife. Swearing, the older boy formed a transparent shield in front of him, protecting the two, before giving the smaller boy a cold look, obviously trying to say that he would brook no arguments.  
  
"I'm doing this to protect you!" he yelled, as the spell hit the shield with incredible force, "So don't just stand there like an idiot and run already or you won't have a chance!"  
  
Concern and worry filled the amber eyes, "But--"  
  
His other smirked confidently, "Don't underestimate me, kid."  
  
With a final, long look, the smaller boy ran, leaving is alter ego behind to face the unknown force on his own. Silence filled the air once more as he ran, forcing himself not to take in the urge to look behind, where the beams of black and red energy were doing battle. Repeating the words that his other half had said under his breath shakily, he did his best to cover as much distance between himself and the cold power.  
  
The silence was filled with his feet pounding against the floor and his sharp, ragged gasps as he proceeded.  
  
A scream rent through the air, and his blood ran cold, feet freezing in its tracks. His heart was beating painfully against his ribcage as he stood there, trying to regain control of his breathing, trying to get his mind to stop telling him what he didn't want to hear.  
  
He wasn't... he couldn't be... he had promised...  
  
Summoning every last strand of courage within him that had not faded away in the first wave, he turned slowly, planning to check, to make sure that his suspicions weren't true. But when he reached that point, a wave of mist engulfed him, trapping him where he stood. Flailing wildly in an attempt to escape, he could feel his skin tingle unpleasantly as all the energy in him was being drained to the bone. His movements became sluggish before finally coming to a standstill. Crumpling to the ice cold floor below him, he managed to whisper weakly, in an attempt to call his other half, "No... Dark..."  
  
The voice that replied was not Dark's.  
  
_"All gone,"_ it was the voice again, the cold voice with no emotion and no pity, and it was standing right above him, _"no one is left to protect you from me. And now..."  
_  
He felt a clammy hand under his chin and winced at the power it seemed to possess – a dark power that even he could not understand – as he was forced to look up at his captor. He made out the blank, blood red eyes, the thin white lips twisted into a cruel smile, and the stands of wispy hair that made out the shapeless face.  
  
_"No one left,"_ he repeated softly in his ear, _"it is all over..."_  
  
The white mist entered the captive's body and he screamed in agony. The power tore inside of him, shredding the very source of his existence, and tears of pain and grief welled in his eyes. Through the haze, he could see the large amount of pure red energy closing in on him.  
  
_"No more..."_  
  
The pain was unbearable; the cold was growing stronger, the blood red eyes whispering his death...  
  
In the dark of night, Niwa Daisuke woke up, screaming.  
  
---- To Be Continued ----  
  
Hmm... I don't know if I really got the creepy feeling going, but I think it will do for now, until I can bother to redo it (which I will, but not now). The main idea of this story is to bring the feeling of suspense to its highest peak and then send all the people crashing in on themselves. Nevertheless, a good start is required, and I hope this is it.  
  
If you noticed, I jump from different descriptions of the character in this, instead of just saying 'him'. I have really got to fix that up, but I'm doing that later. Okay?  
  
If you ask me, this came from after I read a DNAngel fic called "Haunted", by neko-nya and I really liked how spooky and scary it was. It isn't finished yet, but I strongly suggest that you read it anyway. It influenced me, so the whole spooky thing is from that (kinda. I try to stay original if possible) so, I just want to make that clear to everyone.  
  
Liked it? Hated it? Reasons? I would really appreciate it if you told me what you thought about it. That way, I can become a better writer and do even better fanfics. Thank you!  
  
WANTED: I am looking for a beta reader for this story, or at least some suggestions on art piece names, because I have NO imagination whatsoever, and I don't want to have to keep referring to everything they steal 'it', 'painting' and 'thing'. Oh yeah, I don't even know any Japanese, so that's a major kick in the arse for me. Yup, I really hate myself for that now.  
  
OTHER: Just to wrap it up, if you don't like dark-type fics, then you can always read the Wonderful World of Ramblings (lots of humour and whatnot) or you can always read the extremely confusing and relaxed The Flames of Time (no action, sadly, that's why there's more to this than first meets the eye... heh, will say more when it's done). And then there's One too Many Crossovers (new, but loads of humour. What more could you ask for?) which is, well, just read the name and I think you'll get the picture.  
  
Well, that's all for now, and I hope that you liked reading this first Chapter as much as I enjoyed typing it (of course, I didn't enjoy it EXACTLY, because... I'm working on... what was it?... four fictions at the same time. I'm not going to complain, 'cause as long as you read it, then I'm happy!) and I am hoping that you will be back to find out what's happening!  
  
Until then... beware the darkness... -Seena58

Sadly, the WWoR was kicked off 'cause it ws in script format. I'll fix it up later, but if you want the script version, send an email and I'll be obliged to. Other than that, take care!

Oh yeah, OMC will be up later! Um... near the 13th of August, okay? Okay...

Put up: 06/08/04


	2. Chapter II: A Dark Night Contemplation

27-08-04 Footnote (well, more like head-note, but is that possible?): Yep, redid chapter 2 in case you're wondering! Who's keeping up? Not many, by the looks of it... [sniffs] oh well, I bring it on myself. So... with the help of my beta-reader ScahiAmi, I've done a complete remake of chappie 2. Well, not really a remake, just a sppokiness increase. Or an annoying increase. And I do have a tendancy to add long useless descriptions in my writing now, no? Just the way I am. Anyway... hope you like this redone chapter 2!

And chapter three is... floating around uselessly. Not because I don't know what I'm doing, but because I can't seem to work out how to keep chap3 in the mood... will have to speak to all my helpers [I have more now. Whee!]. But other than that... this could be awhile...

Oh, and I suggest you read a few stories from various other DNAngel writers. No, really, I insist. Or do I have to get the flamethrower...? Anyway, the one's I (strongly) suggest is the Ice Rose [by Clarence Hikari], Escaping Expectations, by Starday (come on... I think you'll like it! A really different HP/DNAngel crossover. Now... please read it, I'm the only one who is, so... pleeaaassseee?), Haunted by the one and only Neko-nya (and all those other stories that're there) and... uhm... Nostalgia by baka-chibbi (I think that's how you spell it. Sorry, long night. Not good for the eyes, you know...) and, aw... I give up for now. When I can pull out all my favs, then I will, or just check my favorite stories, most should be there. I hope...

* * *

Thanks for all the nice reviews! This means I'll be working on this story a bit more, since so many people like it! Heh... dark-type fics aren't usually my favorite type of fics, but this story really gets... spooky. It looks like I'll be planning it for a while yet, but I've got the main idea, and it's freaking me out. Yeesh... 

Hmm... chapter 2 isn't all that freaky. I wasn't angsty enough to write it really spooky, and I think Dark is WAY out of character here (Daisuke as well, but that's what supposed to happen). Um... you decide. [fixed them up slightly. Hope I got a bit more Dark-like character in it... or not...]

Now, this story will most likely focus on Daisuke, Satoshi and, of course, their alter-egos. I've always had a thing of having two points of view in different areas, so expect that to happen for this whole story, and it shouldn't be hard to spot who's who anyway.

Again, thanks for the review! (putting up a thanking list at the end, if you really wanna read it. Heh...)

Disclaimers: I don't own this, nor can I control where this story will go. The darkness is taking over... oh yeah; I own the newer introduced characters, obviously. All originals... What would happen if the darkness was to take over??? ... I don't want to think about it.

Summary for Chap II: If what it seems, really isn't what it seems, then what is the real truth behind all this?

... Satoshi finds himself awake in the middle of the night for no reason, Daisuke is worried about what the dream/nightmare is actually about, and Dark seems to be thinking one thing; somehow, it all seems familiar to him.

... Like the past is repeating itself.

Other:

() Daisuke

(()) Dark

And just 'cause it'll happen... [in the end]

:: Satoshi

:::: Krad

* * *

Chapter II: A Dark Night. Contemplation.

* * *

In another area of the Azumano district, Hiwatari Satoshi jerked up abruptly, the silence of the night forgotten completely. He'd been jolted out of his sleep so unexpectedly that he wasn't too sure whether he was still dreaming or whether he was now facing reality. Not that it mattered, either way. 

After scanning his surroundings, he decided that he wasn't dreaming. This was because the only ones he could actually remember consisted of either him actually catching Dark once and for all and ending the Hikari curse, or Krad killing Daisuke rather brutally.

He considered himself spared from the Krad-Daisuke dream, since it always left him drenched in sweat when he woke up.

The tall, blue-haired boy unconsciously reached for his glasses, pushing them on and looking at the bare walls which made up his bedroom. Nothing was out of place, to his relief - if that was any sort of consolation to him. But, since he still felt uneasy, he decide to take a walk outside, despite the fact that he'd slept less than a few hours, since his other, homicidal-half had been talking to him for quite some time, keeping him awake mercilessly.

Having not changed out of the clothes he'd been wearing that day, he passed the empty hallway and pulled the front door open a crack, cautious of any suspicious activity. Satoshi sighed, wondering what had woken him up, but only catching snatches of what he'd been dreaming. They were quite blurry, like an out-of-date movie, but some scenes made horribly clear images flash through his mind.

Unable to remember enough to satisfy his curiosity, he pulled the door wide open and left the apartment building which was his home, if it could be classified as one, due to the fact that he didn't even live with anyone, and no longer had a biological family to look after him.

Closing it softly, so it wouldn't disturb the residents on the same floor, he started to make his way out, but froze at the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, echoing all the way down the hallway.

Something didn't feel right to him and it seemed oddly familiar – the same feeling of uneasiness.

He scanned the area around him warily, only relaxing when the footsteps finally stopped a fair distance away, which was accompanied by the sound of a door creaking open, and then slamming shut, leaving a ringing silence in its wake.

Satoshi muttered under his breath before striding out towards the streets, which were always deserted in the late hours.

The cool night air whipped across his face, softly tugging at his hair, but he ignored it all. He passed the dim, empty streets, caught in the very depths of his mind. Uncomfortable images began to flash in his mind again, as the dark night seemed to jerk them out of the depths, and it left him in dread and wariness:

A physical barrier, made completely out of dark energy.

A city completely blanketed in the darkness, and...

... a lone figure, standing in the heart of the city, as if waiting for someone, or something.

There was something oddly familiar about the figure, but Satoshi couldn't put his finger on it. Something about the spiky hair...

Everything after that scene blared out at him so quickly that the blue-haired boy was no longer sure whether it had truly happened or not:

White, snake-like mist...

Two figures running together, as if trying to escape the mist.

Pure red energy, emitting dark energy, full of malice.

A scream which seemed to cut through glass, accompanied by more mist, and then...

A cold, toneless voice, which surpassed Krad's own voice by a mile, leaving Satoshi feeling slightly off colour, and the blood red eyes... holding no emotion, as if there was only one purpose in life:

To kill.

He frowned, directing his attention to the sky to distract himself from the visions, which were starting to get to him in a way he didn't think possible.

It was a cloudless night, and he could see the half-moon and the dim scattering of lights that were the stars. The light reflected off his azure eyes as he continued to frown for no apparent reason, trying to understand what the strange scenes had really meant. There was something not right about the whole picture, and it annoyed him due to the fact that he couldn't get a direct or logical answer.

Pushing it all out of his mind, he started back towards the apartment, assuring himself that the lack of sleep was probably the reason to him having absurd dreams and that was why it was affecting his mind so much.

But the thing that had actually woken Satoshi up that night had been screaming.

Daisuke's screaming.

===

"It's okay, it's okay," cooed Emiko in a motherly manner as she cradled Daisuke in her arms, continuing to cuddle him as if he was still a baby, "Mother's here now, so you don't have to worry about any scary dreams, okay?"

He could only shake his head, too scared to actually tell her off for treating him like a two-year-old child. The dream he'd just had had been too scary, too painful, too... _real_, for the boy's liking and any comfort was good comfort.

Unless, of course, it came from-

((What, did the bogeyman chase you in your sleep?)) asked the mocking voice that belonged to his other half.

(Dark...) Daisuke shivered unconsciously, (that isn't funny...)

((Well, you're the one who actually woke me up,)) replied Dark loftily, as if nothing was wrong, ((With your incoherent screaming and such, how did you expect me to react, exactly?))

(But...)

"There, there, Dai-chan," continued Emiko in a sappy voice, oblivious to the fact that Daisuke was having an argument with his alternate personality, and petted his head, "everything will be alright, see? Nothing's going to jump out of the shadows at you, so don't cry anymore."

"Mum! I'm not crying!" recovering sufficiently, Daisuke managed to struggle out of her grasp, "I'm fine now! Really..." his voice faded off weakly, as he knew that wasn't the truth.

At this, she frowned, concern stamped on her usually cheerful features, "But, you were screaming so loudly, Daisuke. I was so worried about you..." she took one of his hands, squeezing it slightly. "What was the dream about? Maybe it will make you feel better if you tell someone..."

"I..." the redhead swallowed nervously, avoiding her gaze, "I can't remember, mum. But... I'm okay now."

Turning his head slightly, he managed a weak smile at her.

Emiko still didn't look convinced with his answer, but she nodded all the same, patting his head again, "Then go back to sleep, okay? Don't be afraid to call if something happens."

"Okay..."

Daisuke rolled over in his bed, and nearly fell out of it when he found himself face-to-face with his pet, With. The rabbit-like creature 'kyu'-ed softly in concern, before curling up into him which was the common sign of wanting to comfort the boy.

Closing his eyes and trying to calm his nerves, the redhead waited until he heard his mother leave the room and closing the door behind her softly. Once he was certain that she was out of hearing range, he sat up, clutching With gently as he stared into a mirror propped up at the end of his bed. In it, he could see not just his own reflection but that of his other half – Dark.

The mysterious Phantom Thief was frowning slightly. When he spoke it became obvious he was currently more concerned with Daisuke's sanity than anything else.

((Are you really feeling okay?)) the mocking tone had vanished as well, moving to a slightly more normal tone that the redhead was used to. It was also tinged with a mixture of wariness and concern, he noticed.

Daisuke stroked With for a few minutes, as if wondering how to answer such a simple question, but Dark remained patient, waiting for the answer, although he already had suspicions.

In the end, the redhead sighed, shaking his head slowly, "No, I'm not alright... that dream I just had. It was..." he swallowed again, "it seemed so real, and..."

((And what dream was that?)) queried the Thief, but he got no answer, so he pouted in annoyance, ((does this mean I have to go through your head to get the answers now?))

Again, Daisuke remained silent, head bowed, but Dark could feel uncontrollable fear welling up in the smaller boy. Trying hard not to snort at his host's sudden fear of dreams, the Thief went back to see what the boy had actually been dreaming - at what had left Daisuke so unhinged and extremely paranoid. He could see this by the fact that the redhead kept on jumping whenever he heard the floorboards giving the tiniest creak in the silence.

((Yeesh, what is the reason for this, this time?)) he muttered to himself, ((even when you first met Krad, you weren't freaking out--))

He fell silent as Daisuke's dream flashed out to him like a movie. It only took a minute to leave shivers down Dark's spine. He watched in silence, while the redhead clutched onto With, still shaking slightly at the mere memory of it.

Once it had finished, Dark snorted slightly before speaking.

((... I see...)) mentally, the Thief told himself the keep an eye out for suspicious activity for the next few days, ((it was a dream, Daisuke. Don't let something like that bother you so much, okay?))

"But..." the smaller boy whispered, not convinced, "it felt so real... like I was there. The power was so strong... it was crushing me... and the red energy itself, it was... terrible..."

((Don't say that,)) Dark cut in sharply, shaking at how much the boy had actually suffered from the whole ideal, ((it's not gonna happen, and besides, I'm still here, right? Don't think stupid dreams are gonna come real just it feels that way.))

"... okay," Daisuke lay back, staring at the ceiling as he continued to talk, "you're always going to be here, aren't you?"

((Well, duh, where do you expect me to be?)) he replied, relaxing as he saw his host returning to his usual level of uneasiness, which was just... like Daisuke – which usually meant he didn't worry about anything besides being pinned by Satoshi, when Dark was being pinned by Satoshi during their 'jobs', or, when it happened, Krad's appearance and how it would affect the rest of them.

((Now, just go to sleep already.))

The redhead yawned and nodded, "Mmm... thanks, Dark..." he half-mumbled before sleep took over him.

Silence fell in the room again, leaving Dark to contemplate at what had just happened. He allowed himself the chance to stand next to his sleeping host, brushing a hand lightly over the smaller boy's forehead, "Does this mean... it's happening all over again?"

Something about the dream had been oddly familiar to him. Something...

The Phantom Thief couldn't put his finger on it. But as he watched the boy sleeping peacefully, he worried about the dream and what the future had in store for both of them.

"It seems..." he muttered, to no one in particular, "... the past may be repeating itself all over again. Just my luck..."

Giving Daisuke a sad look, Dark shook his head.

"But this time... I'll be there."

---- To Be Continued ----

You know what? I could call this chapter "Everyone's getting a bit too angsty, and they think too much, and at some point we're all gonna di---" never mind. Not like I'd really call it that anyway.

Really, I wasn't that angsty-like for this chapter - which really cramps my style for this fic [I was REALLY angry-like for the first chap, and since whenever I'm angry, I start a new story {unless it's just out of boredom...}. I've got too many to finish, guh... the pain...], but I guess it can't be dark-like all the time... hmmm... but this story is so hard to write and make sure it keeps the suspension and all that. I dunno, and I really don't want to be in that 'mood' to make sure it's kept in the evil mode, or something, or whatever. Yeesh...

This chapter wasn't scary, was it? Although it is a bit... mind catching/confusing? Something where you wanna know more? I dunno, is it?

Anyway... now I have to write out my third chapter... won't take too long though! Heh... so much time on my hands... [reality bites. I think I have story block. Not writer's block, mind you. I've got too many stories for writer's block to form...]

Oh yeah, if you wanna beta read for this story, or any other story that's up (I dunno, do you read them?) then just send a review or email telling me. All comments are good comments, since they help me get to know my readers! Also, if you want me to beta read for you, then don't hesitate to ask, because I like going through stories, and trying to help people as much as I can. Although... when it's spelling and grammar, argh, they're so annoying, especially since we type, and sometimes we spell the wrong thing and the computer doesn't pick it up! What kind of technology is this?! Oh well... if you do want me to beta read, I'm open (well, not really, since I beta reading someone else's already, but I like to help as many people as I can! And I have LOADS of free time, or, at least, it feels that way. Yeesh {I use that word too much. Would Dark even say 'yeesh'?! I think not}, school...)

-- Thanking Reviewers Segment! [Since other people do it, I gonna do it too, cause you were so nice to read it and review it for me! And that's why I continued it! And you people are special!]

- Redrose Moon: Heh... rocking. I like it. And thanks for the nice review and comment and whatever!

- Clarence Hikari: Yeah, I'm beta reading for you, but besides that... I'm glad you enjoyed it too. Hopefully this will be up as soon as it can be... and, hmm... do your best on The Ice Rose! Can't wait for the chapter 4!

- neko-nya: You're my inspiration for this fic, from 'Haunted', ne? I love that story, as well as every other story you've done that's DNAngel related (I'm just really into that now), and I can't wait 'till you update them! You'll do it soon, no? (Actually, you update regularly, so I guess I shouldn't be so worried... yeah! Let's party with those really evil shadows!)

- Starday: Heh... this is so embarrassing, I can't believe it... yeah, thanks for the comment, and, about beta reading, you're on my list, except... I couldn't get your email address. ... Hopefully you're reading this, no? If you are, please just send me an email and I will assure you that the next chapter will be coming your way! (as well as my other beta reader, of course. More opinions from different people are a good thing, since I've only ever used my own opinion...)

- Rekkaboziegirl: Yep, I'm gonna try and update it more regularly now, no? Thanks for that extreme enthusiasm (if only the school computers didn't block ...).

- SachiAmi: Thanks for the tip, I'll try to keep that in mind. And for beta reading as well, since all comments and helpful hints will really improve my writing big time! I've been, what, writing for, lessee... for about five years now, and only now am I really starting to improve on greater levels. And now, with people actually reading it and giving me their opinions, I can get even better! Thanks! [And thanks for the tips! No, really, it hurt, but it helps. Anyway... hope this chapter is too your liking!]

[And more 'thank you's to come! Hee! Hope you'll hang around soon! Actually... I have no idea how long it'll take for chap 3 to come up... so if you don't mind checking once after every Friday... yeah, updates are then.]

Thanks, everyone! All your positive comments really help me to keep going forwards (I'm always forwards, never backwards anyway) and I will try my best to do a really good fic, that isn't long, and boring, and doesn't get anywhere... gotta finish Flames of Time. Yeesh, I think it'll be a while before THAT'S finished. And, no, you don't have to read it if you don't wanna: Your eyes might pop out.

Anyway... until next time! – Seena58


	3. Chapter III: Passing to the Unknown

Planning hurts, really. Or, should I say actually writing a chapter that fits hurts. To keep the spookiness is rather painful, and, well, I don't specialise in that category, if you haven't noticed yet. Sadly, I can't do anything to change that, so we'll just see how it all turns out.

--- Thanking Beta Readers Section: Yeah! Now, I'd like to acknowledge the people who helped make this chapter worth reading! Both SachiAmi and Staryday! Man, I love you guys for that!!! (hearts and hugs) Yes, special thanks to those two, and, Rekkabooziegirl. Is that how you spell it??? Anyway, I accept your offer, but my brain's been like mush of late, but I'll send you chapter 4 once I actually get it done! No, I haven't forgotten you!!!

Disclaimers: I don't own this, nor can I control where this story will go. The darkness is taking over... oh yeah; I own the newer introduced characters, obviously. All originals... why can't we just all live peacefully, without someone biting your head off in the process? So many questions, not enough answers...

Summary for Chap III: When Daisuke's family decides to go out for the day, suspicions arise. It is nearly time to return to school, but, when Daisuke finds himself in the presence of a fortuneteller, the future seems more clouded than usual.

It seems that there may be more on the line than usual.

Other:

() Daisuke

(()) Dark

:: Satoshi

:::: Krad

--------------------------------

Chapter III: Passing to the Unknown

--------------------------------

The shrill ringing of Daisuke's alarm clock woke him up, and, pushing the button to turn it off, he yawned and rolled over. Sunlight was filtering gracefully through the window, dispelling last night's terrors, and he looked up at the ceiling, trying to sort out how he was really feeling after what had happened the night before.

(Last night was horrible,) he reminded himself, (but nothing happened. Maybe Dark was right; maybe I am just being a bit too paranoid for my own good.)

He wanted to believe it, but for one reason or another, he just couldn't get his mind to accept the fact. With a sigh, he pulled himself out of the safety of his bed. In the process, With fell out of the folds of the blanket, 'kyu'-ing unhappily at the sudden disturbance. Daisuke paid no heed to it, his mind elsewhere.

(But... why did I have a dream like that?) he wondered, pulling a sweater over his head, (and why did it feel so... real...)

He shuddered slightly, banishing the thought with every ounce of mental strength that he had.

"I have to stop thinking that way," he said out loud.

Despite all this, he felt slightly shaky. Repeating the phrase a few more times, he opened the door, only to find himself face-to-face with the Niwa housemaid, Towa, who looked as cheerful as ever.

"Up already?" she asked shrilly, "You shouldn't set an alarm during the holidays, Daisuke!"

"Morning Towa-chan," the redhead sighed, "could I ask why you were standing right outside my bedroom door?"

"Oh! I... have reasons," she replied lamely, before bouncing off down the corridor with her usual energy, "I'll be off now!"

"... Was she eavesdropping on me?" he asked out loud, as With climbed onto his shoulder, (But why would someone do that to me...? Was it because of... last night?)

He bit his lip, not wanting to know whether or not his family was watching over him when he didn't know it. He shook his head, his mind confused. Walking out and downstairs, the redhead noticed that no one seemed to be around, and shrugged slightly. He ignored the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach and sat down on a chair, too wrapped up in his own thoughts to really care about eating breakfast.

"_Tonight, at nine, the Phantom Thief Dark will be making another appearance at--"_ cackled the reporter's voice in the room opposite where Daisuke was.

"Another one tonight?"

"Yes, Dai-chan," replied Emiko as she poked her head through the doorway, "so you and Dark have to be ready."

"... Are you going out?" he asked, noticing that her clothes seemed a bit more exotic then usual; a large, sky blue sundress with the usual wide-brimmed hat, which reminded him of the time when Krad had first appeared. For one reason or another, his family had come to interfere with what was supposed to be his own quiet time with Riku, and the whole trip had collapsed in on itself.

"Yes, we are," she smiled, "so just take care of yourself, and don't let any strangers in, do you hear me?"

"I already know that..." he mumbled, slightly annoyed that she was treating him like an infant again, "but... why are you going out?" something about the whole situation seemed strange to him, since she usually forced him into going with her whenever they decided to go out.

"Shopping," replied Emiko coolly, while Kosuke and Daiki slipped by, "so be a good boy until we come back, Dai-chan!"

With that, she left the house, with the other members of the Niwa family. This left Daisuke in bafflement, and, slowly, his mind tried to work out the inner meaning behind her overly cheerful words.

(Just like last night...) his mind told him, (the rest of the family leaves you on your own. Maybe the dream will come true...)

At this, the redhead shook his head violently and got up, (It won't happen. Dark's always with me anyway.)

"Kyu!"

"Hm? Is something wrong, With?" Daisuke turned to his pet, who pawed the refrigerator door in clear indication of wanting food, "Oh, you want to eat something now, do you?"

"Kyu!" the rabbit-like creature nodded vigorously.

Chuckling slightly at the enthusiasm, the redhead opened the door, and took out a couple of strawberries, "Okay, okay."

As he watched the happy creature gnawing away at the red fruit, Daisuke's ears picked up a low whining sound that made him. He froze. Jerking his head up, he scanned the kitchen. It was clean, in courtesy to Emiko's usual policy of cleanliness, but everything still seemed in place and the sound faded off slowly. Biting his lip slightly in worry, and kicking himself for being so jumpy, he returned to watch With, who seemed oblivious to the fact that the redhead looked fairly nervous.

(It was just my imagination,) he told himself firmly, (that's all...)

((You wish, Dai-chan.))

(GAH! DARK!!) completely taken by surprise, Daisuke fell off the seat he'd been sitting on, (WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!)

((... Zzzz...))

"Kyu!"

"Huh? Finished already?" he shook his head before he turned to face rabbit-like creature, all the while wondering what Dark had meant, "So... should we take a walk outside now, With?"

"Kyu!"

"Sure," laughing slightly at the creature's vast amount of enthusiasm, he got up and With hopped onto his shoulder, "since everyone else is out already... it wouldn't hurt for us to..."

He opened the front door and stopped sharply, jumping back in surprise as he caught a glimpse of a dark form at the edge of his vision. But before he could get his mind to work properly, whatever he had seen was gone. With 'kyu'-ed in concern and Daisuke shook his head to reassure the creature before he took a step outside.

"It was nothing, With," he said calmly, but looking far from it, "let's go."

(I was sure... for a moment there...) he thought, his mind reacting drastically to the sudden remembrance of the dream and he started to panic again, (just for a second... someone was watching me... from that bush?)

He scratched the back of his head, confusion replacing the fear, (Oh well... nothing happened so...)

Closing the front door behind him and locking it, Daisuke turned out onto the street. He was oblivious to the unearthly mist that had appeared behind him. It flickered slightly before it faded off, seeking shelter in the cool breeze.

Because of his early rise, and it also being the holidays at the same time, the redhead noticed that most streets were fairly deserted. The noises that were heard were coming from the residents inside the buildings themselves and only the breeze seemed to stir in the weak sunlight.

He turned his attention towards the sky, which was a deep blue colour, and the sun shone brightly over the buildings and the trees, as the wind rustled gently in its wake.

(At least it's the holidays,) he told himself, as the calm scenery washed away the fear that had locked itself inside of him, (so I can have some more time to myself... and not worry about... jobs.)

He cringed slightly at his mother's use of the word 'job' - he had argued that 'theft' would probably fit the category better, but Emiko had refused to listen. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he continued down the street, staring up at the bright leaves, which filtered the sunlight as it splashed across the pavement.

"_No more..."_

Daisuke jerked up at the sudden hiss of a voice that seemed to be right behind him. He looked behind himself swiftly. Disturbed by the sudden movement, With protested in a series of loud 'kyu's, and clutched onto his shoulder firmly. The redhead scanned the street behind him warily, as if waiting for movement of any form of life. When nothing happened, he relaxed slightly and rubbed his hands – they were slightly clammy and unbearably cold. He shook his head and shoved his hands deep in his pockets.

(It's just my imagination...) he told himself firmly, (nothing more.)

"Kyu!"

"Look out!"

Daisuke looked up in time to see a large, round ball fly towards his head. Out of sheer surprise, he jumped back, barely avoiding the solid object, and fell heavily on the concrete pavement. With, surprised, jumped off his shoulder and hid behind him, while the redhead tried to work out what had just happened.

"Yo, Daisuke! You alright?!" called a familiar male's voice, "For a moment I thought it had you there!"

"... Saehara?!" he spluttered, as the raven-haired boy ran over to him in an attempt to catch sight of the soccer ball he'd kicked, "What was that for?! You could've killed me with that!"

"Yeah, you're right about that!" grinning broadly, and unable to contain his laughter, Daisuke's childhood friend offered him a hand up, "So... how've your holidays been then, eh?"

"Uh... okay, I guess," the redhead shrugged, as With hopped back onto his shoulder with an indignant 'Kyu!', "how about you?"

"Oh, the usual," catching sight of the soccer ball lodged between a couple of bushes close by, Takeshi went over and held it up.

"Muckin' about an' all that kinda junk. The only thing that's keepin' me goin' at the moment is Dark's appearances."

"Okay..." twisting his head slightly to avoid the obsessed look in Takeshi's eyes, Daisuke blinked as he tried hard to contain the uneasy feelings inside of him, "Uh... I better get going now..."

"What, you don't wanna play with us?"

"I really can't at the moment," he bowed apologetically, "I... have other things to do right now..."

He bolted down the way he'd come, unable to explain the uncomfortable feeling that had shot itself down his spine. He shivered, as his eyes darted for a place to calm himself down.

"Kyu!"

"With?" stopping abruptly at the creature's sudden call, Daisuke stopped, and noticed that he'd somehow managed to enter the darker areas of the city, where many buildings were dilapidated and falling to pieces. With hissed slightly, but the redhead took a step forwards, biting his lip.

"I can... feel something here..." he whispered, "With... can you feel it too?"

He stepped lightly over the hard-worn tiles that made up the pavement, and went into the deserted street. No breeze blew as he moved – With's hissing being the only source of sound. That, and the constant pounding of Daisuke's heart against his ribcage.

(What is that feeling?) he wondered, (that really weird, clammy type of feeling... it just doesn't seem right...)

He stopped as his spine tingled more persistently with the same unpleasant feeling he had felt only once before. He turned around, in hope that he could catch sight of whoever – or whatever – that might have been behind him.

Silence blanketed the street, and he bit his lip in dread, unable to explain the feeling that continuously descended upon him.

"Maybe... we should go..." he started uncertainly, taking a cautious step back, but his legs wouldn't move.

"_You need not run... for I am watching your every step..."_

Daisuke gasped in surprise, the hissing voice forming more words into his mind and he fell back, not truly knowing why. With jumped in front of him, fur up on end, and hissed again, at the white mist that had begun to form in front of them.

"_Soon we will come face to face, boy..." _the mist said, as it became a shapeless blob and started to fade away, _"and then you will know true fear..."_

He shook as the mist suddenly vanished into the silence, and swallowed nervously, "Just then... that was..."

"Kyu!"

"Oh? A customer? It has been a while since I have had one..." whispered a misty-like voice, "Why don't you come in and try your luck with the cards... for you see, everyone's future, their destiny, has already been decided by the stars..."

Daisuke located the voice in a shop close by; it seemed fine, unlike most of the others he had seen, and the purple sheets that fluttered over the doorframe seemed more mysterious than anything else did.

(Uh... maybe I should go now...) he thought, as he took a step back, but Dark's voice stopped him.

((What, are you really scared of a little shop?)) he asked.

(But just look at that place!) protested the redhead, as he took another step back, eyes focused on the purple fabric.

((And you don't trust me?))

(... Dark...)

((If anything happens, I'll be the one who has to get you outta it, isn't that what always happens?)) snorted the Theif, (('Cause you know as well as I do that if anything happens to you, it happens to me as well.))

At this, Daisuke bit his lip.

(... I guess you're right...)

((Damn straight.))

At this, the redhead scooped up With to calm him down. He took a deep breath before he pushed past the purple fabric and entered.

He was instantly greeted by small crystal ornaments that filled the shelves around the small box-shaped room, delicately fashioned with the same purple cloth he had passed through. He shivered slightly, remembering how soft the fabric had been between his fingers, and how unsettling it had felt as he had entered.

His gaze was fixed on the cloaked figure that was sitting in front of a large crystal ball. Taking a step forward, he stopped as the figure whispered, as if the folds of the thick fabric were choking them.

"So... you have come to seek Madam Lia's help, child?" she asked, her voice cool and it held a mysterious ring to it, "Not many children come to this part of town... ever since the time of Destruction..."

"..."

"Do not fear," her voice held a slight hint of amusement as she waved a thin hand in indication of a stool on the other side of the round table, "besides, I do not charge customers for the first reading."

(I guess... it wouldn't hurt to try...) Daisuke told himself, as he sat on the stool indicated, (and With will know if danger's coming... and Dark's here as well...)

"Aah..." whispered Lia, her gaze directed towards the crystal ball, "I can see... your mind is troubled, no?"

"Um... yes," he stammered, taken by surprise by how her voice suddenly seemed full of life. She shrank back, as if trying to decide what to do. Then, she pulled out a deck of cards.

"Many years before," she said, voice misty and faded once more, "I might have read the person's mind, to find what was in store for them, but over time, I have learnt that many don't like their minds read by a complete eccentric."

She laughed softly. The noise echoed around the room, making the hairs on With's fur stand up unpleasantly and Daisuke held his breath.

"These are Tarot Cards," she explained, placing them in front of her, in full view, "so you have nothing to fear. Come, place your hand on the deck, do not be afraid."

The redhead did as he was told, until Lia told him to move back, which he did so gladly.

"Good, now you have placed a bit of yourself in the deck, for now," she added in reassurance, "over time, the power will fade off. So this means nothing can be redirected. Now..."

With speed that seemed unnatural, she shuffled the deck, cut it in half, and placed three cards on the table, leaving the rest on the side, "Now, we have to turn them over, and I can tell you what they mean."

He flipped the three cards over. Lia took a long look at them while her hands moved around restlessly at their own accord. Finally, she sighed.

"I see... oh, poor, troubled child," she shook her head sadly.

"Wh-what?" he stammered, unable to comprehend the meaning, "Is something the matter?"

"You have uncovered the power of the Tower, Five of Cups, and the Moon card. Oh dear..."

"But... what does this mean then?"

"Oh, many things, but I would be careful if I were you, child," she bowed her head as she shrank back into the shadows of the store, "please leave now..."

As he saw that she wouldn't be speaking anymore, he got up, but she held out the deck to him, "Take one. It will decide your future. Take care."

Taking a card from the offered deck, he slipped out quickly, trying hard not to shake too much from the tension.

"That... was weird," he muttered, as he hurried back to the safer parts of the city, (But... what did she mean, exactly?)

Once he was sure he was safe, he flipped the card over to see what it was; it was richly decorated, with a small figure placed in the center, a large star dominating the sky. He took a look down at the English writing placed at the foot of the card, and sighed in confusion as he slipped it into his pocket.

(Whatever it means...) he told himself, (I guess I'll never now. And I have school tomorrow...)

He walked off and was unaware of a person who had been watching him from behind a building close by.

As the leaves rustled, the figure vanished.

--- To Be Continued ---

Did you like it? Was it spooky enough??? Am I missing something that should be there? Well, if that's the case, then just tell me and I'll fix it, 'kay?

Yeah, this may be the last chapter for a while, since I've had a horrible case of Writer's block, and I think I ought to get that flamethrower and burn it to pieces, or something. Anyway... thanks to all those who reviewed and all the beta readers, and all the usual junk, and, like I said before, I don't know when chapter 4 will be up, so you might have to wait. I don't like it anymore than you do, but I'm trying to work out my brain at the moment. The gray mush of mine isn't being very kind at the moment...

Now... about the Tarot cards and that fortuneteller. Well, to put it simply, I wanted to add something weird, weeeeeiiiiiirrrrrdddd, ahem, into the story, and this was the way to go. I like reading about the Tarot cards, they're cool and all that, and that's why they're there in the first place. ANYWAY, here're the meanings with the cards, in case you were wondering...

The Tower: Sudden change, release, downfall, revelation.

The Five of Cups: Loss, bereavement (... Huh? I don't even know what that means... gotta check my dictionary eventually...), regret.

The Moon: Fear, illusion, imagination, bewilderment.

I don't think you need a clearer explanation than this, right??? So, I'll just cut to the chase and shove the usual thanking reviewers section!

-- Thanking Reviewers Segment! Other people do it, so why shouldn't I??? If you threaten me, just remember... I have a flamethrower... oh, wait, you're all kind people! Here we go!!!

- ToTalLy WeIrD Grl aka Redrose Moon: Well, if you're still here, here's chapter 3! Hope you enjoyed this!

- Rekkaboziegirl: Well, yeah, I accept the offer. (insert hearts here) Glad you loved the chapter, and I've given writing it on paper, it's too long and boring! And glad you like the characters! I'll send you an email as soon as I can, 'kay? (more hearts)

- Kakarots-Frying-Pan: Thanks for the nice encouragement! Yeah, guess I should make it a bit longer, but I've got a lot of work to do at the moment... stupid writer's block. Have to kill it... well, what'd you think???

- neko-nya: Yeah, you must inspire many people! Well... you got to me, anyway. Hope you update you're stories soon and I hope this chapter went well!

Again, I must thank everyone who has decided to take their time to read this! (hugs everyone) I love you guys for that! And it makes me wanna do it more! I'll get chap4 up as soon as I can... okay?

Take care everyone! – Seena58


	4. Chapter IV: In The Dark Of Night

Wow, it took me WAY too long to get this updated. I am so sorry for all you people out there that actually read this thing! (bows) You see... uh... my mind has been really REALLY whacked out and it won't go back in full gear. (hits head with large hammer) I think I have to ask for a new one for Christmas... Either way, this chapter is pretty long and all, with some rather strange references, so I hope you enjoy it.

Oh, and... I really stink at descriptions...

--- Thanking Beta Readers Section: Once more a big thank you to all those who helped me with this chapter! Sachi Ami and Rekkaboziegirl! You don't know how much this helps make me a better writer! Hm... did I give Staryday this chap? I can't even remember anymore... what a mind blank... anyway, all help is good help!

Disclaimers: I don't own this, nor can I control where this story will go. The darkness is taking over... oh yeah; I own the newer introduced characters, obviously. All originals... I think I've run into a mental mind block. Scary...

Summary for Chap IV: It was supposed to be a job to steal one single item. But... just as things begin to look brighter, darkness closes in on Daisuke and Dark. It seems that the misted figure knows them and Thief doesn't look too happy with the situation.

As the redhead's suspicions rise at the Thief's knowledge, more than one person seems to agree that something doesn't feel right...

Other:

() Daisuke

(()) Dark

:: Satoshi

:::: Krad

--------------------------------

Chapter IV: In the Dark of Night

--------------------------------

"Oh! How about this one, Dai-chan?!" squealed Emiko in excitement, as she held up a leather shirt that had a silver lining at the bottom half of the seam. It shimmered in the light, but Daisuke could only roll his eyes.

"Mum! I said the last one was fine!" he replied in exasperation, "Why did you leave the costume to the last minute this time...?"

"We got caught up with the shopping!" she said, forcing him to take the offered shirt, "And I'm sure Dark would love to wear this! It's so elegant!"

"Who's really gonna see him anyway..." muttered Daisuke, as Emiko pushed him forcefully up the stairs so he could change.

He opened the door to his bedroom and closed it again while muttering, "And she always insists on clothes that... ugh... why today..."

((Hey, I'm the one actually doing all the work,)) snorted Dark in the back of his mind, as the redhead closed the door to his bedroom, ((you just sit back and relax, Daisuke. What's our target this time?))

"Uh... it was the Angel's Wing," he mumbled as he pulled off his shirt and changed into the leather one, "Wasn't it... really small?"

((Angel's Wing...)) repeated the Thief slowly, while he recalled where the name had come from, ((Oh yeah... that one. It'd probably fit in the palm of your hand, Dai-chan.))

(Really? Is it pretty?) asked the redhead, as he prepared himself for the transformation.

((You'll soon find out,)) Dark chuckled slightly as he found himself taking over his host's body, ((how about we talk to Risa after we're done? I'm sure she'd love to see me again.))

(Not today...) groaned the redhead, while the Thief stretched luxuriously, (too much has happened already...)

"So you say, Dai-chan, so you say," he replied, as he sauntered towards the bedroom door, "if you don't like what I do, then just go to sleep. Simple."

(I can't trust you when you do that, though!) Daisuke retorted as the door swung open, (I never know what you're gonna do next!)

Dark ignored the comment, as his eyes locked themselves on the card that the smaller boy had picked up from the fortuneteller that day, which was currently sitting on the table, ((... Why are you keeping that card with you? Why didn't you just throw it away?))

(Eh?) at this, confusion replaced the worry that the redhead usually had before the beginning of a job, (Why? Is something wrong with that card?)

Silence greeted him.

(...Dark? Dark? Mum's calling...)

"Huh? Wha? Oh, yeah..." Dark shook his head, in an attempt to collect himself as he strode out. As Emiko gave him the last few details about the item and what he had to do, Daisuke couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with the Phantom Thief of late.

(What's up with you, lately, Dark? Are you...) he shook his head, (No way.)

"—and don't let anything happen to Dai-chan, remember that," Emiko finished, as With hopped up onto his shoulders and prepared to transform, "and be wary of any sort of danger. Take care, Dark!"

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, "What do you expect me to do, anyway?"

Without waiting for a reply from her, he flew out into the darkness, leaving behind him a scattering of black feathers.

The air whipped sharply against his face, like someone was forcefully slapping him awake, but Dark continued towards the museum that they had been assigned to for the night. Not to his surprise, both the inside and outside of the large building was crawling with a number of police officers, all intent on catching him once and for all. Despite his uncertainty, which was buried deep inside, Dark couldn't help but smirk at their attempts.

"They just don't know what they're doing," he said as he slipped past them without stirring a single hair on their heads while they stood on guard, "Why do they even try to try?"

(...) Daisuke, who was watching at the back of Dark's mind, bit his lip, (I don't think you should be so confident, Dark... it might end up being your downfall...)

"... And what makes you say that, Dai-chan?" he replied, frowning at the seriousness of Daisuke's simple statement, "When was the last time someone told me something like that? 'Being overconfident will be your downfall'? Yeah, sure."

In the silence that followed, a cold hissing filled the room and hallways. It bounced around recklessly as it reached their ears and Dark took a step back. Daisuke, noticing the odd apparition before them, called out to him.

(Dark? What's going on? What...)

He stopped in horror as he noticed the appearance thin strands of semi-transparent mist that seemed to slither across the marble tiles of the room as it advanced towards them. A cold presence seemed to descend upon the room and he shivered, though he was still within the confines of Dark's mind. Unconsciously, the redhead did all he could to see what was happening.

Dark, on the other hand, shook his head violently, his violet hair flying wildly as he strode quickly through the room. His footsteps echoed through the room's interior and the tendrils of mist seemed to shrink back at his presence.

((It was nothing, Daisuke,)) he replied, once he had left the room, ((it was probably your imagination playing with your head or something. Now, back to what I was supposed to do...))

As Dark moved through the various rooms in search for the object, Daisuke couldn't help but contemplate on what had just happened.

(Dark... you know something about all this... don't you?)

"Here we go!" Dark smirked triumphantly, obviously shying away from the subject as he moved the object close enough for the other boy to see, "Didn't I tell you? A rather interesting piece of artwork, if you know what I mean."

(Wow...)

As Dark took it, the small item glimmered majestically in the moonlight, which speared through the glass panes behind them. It was abruptly named, being the shape of a single feather that curved gracefully near the tip and seemed to be made of transparent glass with a light golden tinge deep within its core. Before Dark or Daisuke could react, however, the glass of the case and the windows surrounded them shattered viciously without warning.

Dark jumped out of the way, shoving the item deep within his pocket while avoiding the glass with ease. As the shards hit the floor, the redhead couldn't help but call worriedly to his other half.

(Dark! What's going on?!)

((I don't know...)) was the only reply he got before a blast of cold air hit him. Dark was sent flying until he hit the opposite wall of the room with a sickening thud. The Thief winced slightly and gritted his teeth against the pain as he slowly pulled himself up from the floor, using the wall beside him as a support as he scanned the area around him.

The radiance of the moonlight shimmered against the marble floor, splashing it with weak patches of light. As the Thief watched, tendrils of white mist began to fill the entire room once more, slowly slithering across the floor before wrapping itself around the pillars and walls of the museum.

"_I am watching your every step... why do you refuse to give in?"_

(That voice again...) breathed Daisuke, and he bit his lip as an unnerving sense of foreboding began to run through his mind, (We have to get out of here, Dark! I have a bad feeling about this!)

When he didn't get a reply, he shivered and his eyes widened in terror as a large mist-like formation seemed to stretch out over them, breaking away from the group and seemed to stretch over them while it took on a more specific shape. A tall figure stood before them, and Dark took a step back in apprehension. The mist itself seemed to cover it entirely, only allowing the pair to see the eyes. The very image made Daisuke's blood ran cold.

Blood red eyes: blank, merciless, full of hate.

"_So... do you know me?"_ hissed the cold voice, and a blast of air swept Dark off his feet for the second time, _"Do you remember me? I would be surprised if you didn't... it would be a pity as well..."_

"What do you want?" snarled Dark as he mentally turned to his partner, ((Daisuke, we're getting out of here.))

(Dark? What? Who... do you know who this is?!) called the redhead, (Something about it... what's going--)

His sentence was suddenly cut off, and silence fell between the two.

((Daisuke?)) the Thief froze, ((Daisuke! Oi, reply dammit!))

Panic soon began to fill Dark's body when all he was greeted with silence and he instantly turned to face the white figure, "... You. What are you doing here? What di you do?"

"_So you do remember me,"_ the voice began to take on a mocking tone, _"I guessed that once your little host was out, you might have wanted to face me once and for all. Don't think that I've forgotten about the past, Dark. We will meet again. You can't protect him all the time, and you know it..."_

The voice trailed off and Dark's eyes narrowed dangerously as he forced himself to remain calm as he tried to call to Daisuke. ((Daisuke?! Come on already! Wake up!)) A dead quiet was all the Thief received for his efforts, so he turned to the figure in an attempt to buy himself more time to contact his partner.

"And why the hell should I listen to you?" he shot back with as much force as he could manage.

"_Because your fate has already been decided,"_ it insisted coolly, as the mist continued to get thicker and closed in on them, _"But... you don't have to be around when it happens, you know. Remember the last time I did it? If you had listened to me, Dark Mousy, then maybe I might not have done that to her..."_

"Shut up!" he cut in sharply as his hands balled into fists and he fought to remain calm, "That's not gonna happen this time, so I don't have to do anything for you!"

"_Just remember the last time, Dark Mousy... if you don't want him to face the same fate..."_ the voice trailed off once again, allowing an unnerving silence to blanket around them. As he watched the mist fade slowly begin to fade away, leaving the Phantom Thief on his own once more, Dark shook his head.

((Daisuke? Come on, answer already!)) he called again. There was no reply and he bit his lip in annoyance and concern, ((Where the hell are you?!))

"Dark?!"

"Shit!" the Thief spun around in time to see a half-surprised Satoshi appear, taking in the scene before him, "What the hell do you want?!"

"My, what a mess you made," the boy said neutrally, his eyes focused on the shattered glass on the floor, "... It seems you have another enemy here, Dark. Would you care to explain?"

"That's none of your business," Dark snapped, as he continued to throw mental calls to Daisuke when he could, "I think I'll be going now."

Not waiting for an answer, the Thief made his move: he charged for the closest exit - the broken window - Satoshi right behind them. As his feet skidded against the smooth floor, Dark barely managed to keep his balance while avoiding the sharp shards of glass, as he tried to call to Daisuke at the same time.

((Yo, Dai-chan, if you can hear me, the Creepy Bastard's after us,)) he said in a matter-of-fact tone, ((And it ain't any fun if you ain't 'round yelling at me for wasting my time here.))

He dodged swiftly as Satoshi lunged in an attempt to get him, and jumped onto the balcony, avoiding the sharp edges of the glass that were still intact. Without another glance, he leapt. The air whipped his face as a greeting while he fell and it wasn't long before With came in his transformed state, and flew off gracefully, a scattering of dark feathers left behind as his mark.

Satoshi remained motionless as he watched the Thief slip out of his grasp once more, the black feathers and shattered glass scattered around him. As the shadowed figure vanished from his sight, he could feel the demon within him stir.

::You let him escape again.::

::You should have left it to me, Satoshi-sama.::

The blue-haired boy chose to ignore Krad's comments and stepped back for a better look at the chaos before him.

"..." he frowned.

---

The cool night air whipped the Thief's face while he made the journey back to the Niwa house, concentrating on what had happened only moments ago.

(... Mmmnn...?)

((Bloody hell! Daisuke?!)) Dark jerked back to attention, relief welling up inside of him at finally hearing a reply from his partner and other half, ((What happened to you?))

(Dark?) silence fell for a few seconds as the redhead tried to recall what had transpired, (What happened? The last thing I remember was the mist... and that really scary-looking shape appear before us, and... it was talking to you, wasn't it? How... how does it know you, Dark?)

((Well, when you went out like a light, that... thing said a bunch of crazy things the you don't need to know, and then left. The mist vanished and then Creepy Bastard came.))

Daisuke flinched slightly at the bitter tone Dark had used when he had spoken about the mist-like figure, but regained his composure quickly.

(Hiwatari-kun was there?)

((Well duh, who do you think?))

(Did he... see what happened? With the mist and the creature?)

((No, he appeared after all that was done.))

At the abrupt reply, the redhead inclined his head, but decided against pursuing the matter, since Dark made it clear that he wouldn't speak of it in detail. Finally, he spoke up again.

(Was Krad there?)

((If he wasn't there, then where would he be? You know that he can't leave Hiwatari anyway.))

(... That's not what I meant.)

((Sure sounded like it to me,)) unable to control himself, Dark sniggered at the redhead's tone, ((At least you're not hurt... are you?))

(Huh?) Daisuke seemed surprised at the sudden seriousness that could be heard in his other half's voice, (Well... I feel fine, actually... like someone just shut me off into another room where I couldn't hear anything... but it was really horrible in there... like someone was after me...)

((Dammit...))

(What? What's wrong?)

((Nothing,)) came the sullen reply, and Dark continued to make his way gracefully back the Niwa house, refusing to say another word.

(Dark...)

---

When Daisuke finally crawled into the warmth of his bed for the night, he couldn't help but think about what had happened. Emiko had been joyful that they succeeded on their job, and nearly choked Daisuke in the process of hugging him until Kosuke had suggested that she stop.

Moonlight fell from the sky and created a gentle glow in the room, as the redhead continued to stare blankly at the ceiling. With was curled up snugly next to him, breathing gently. Daisuke blinked sleepily as he tried to sum up what had actually happened.

(Dark knows something... he's trying to cover it up, but... I can tell...) he told himself, knowing that his other half would be asleep, (But... what does he know? And why isn't he telling me?)

Daisuke sighed and groggily wrapped himself in the blankets, "Why... who's doing this anyway? What do they want from us...? From Dark?"

His eyes closed on their own accord and it wasn't long before he was asleep.

---

The light that was spilled into the room the next day went unnoticed by Daisuke, who was so far gone in the realm of sleep that nothing seemed to be able to wake him. When his alarm started to ring, he unconsciously switched it off and abruptly went back to sleep. It was only when his mother called him that his brain finally began to work, though at an incredibly slow pace.

"Dai-chaaaaaaaaaan!" rang Emiko's voice cheerfully from another room, "It's time for you to go to school now! You don't want to be late on your first day now, do you?"

"Ugh..." Daisuke attempted to sit up as he rubbed his eyes, "What time is it ...?"

((It's eight already, Daisuke! Hurry up, you're late!)) bellowed Dark in the back of his mind.

"Wha-- aaah! I'm going to be late now!" surprised and worried, the redhead fell out of his bed.

Dark cackled madly at his host's reaction.

((Ah... you have GOT to see yourself in a mirror one day when you do that again, Dai-chan,)) he said, while he attempted to keep his laughing in check, ((I'm just kidding!))

(DARK!)

"Dai-chan!" repeated Emiko.

"Coming!" kicking the tangled sheets away from him, Daisuke scrambled up and got changed. Within seconds, he was down the stairs, where his mother greeted him the usual way.

"Um... Emiko-san, you might want to let go of him now," Kosuke said calmly while the redhead was trapped in her embrace. She let go and he sat down, prodding at his breakfast.

(Dark... about last night...) he started.

((Look, we'll talk 'bout it later,)) came the instant response, and this made his host sigh.

(Okay...)

Despite the suspicions that he was facing, Daisuke decided to drop the questions for the time being and ate breakfast before standing up. He took the lunch that Emiko offered him and then went down the hallway to the front door.

"I'm going now," he called.

"Alright! Take care and have a fun day at school!" Emiko called back as he opened the door and exited.

As he made his way to school, he couldn't help but notice that the sky seemed to be scattered with a few dark clouds that looked slightly forbidding. He shuddered unconsciously and pushed the uneasy thoughts away and concentrated on his journey to school.

"Yo! Daisuke!"

Just as the redhead had reached the front gate of Azumano Junior High, he found himself falling to the ground as Takeshi hit him. Irritated, he got up.

"Saehara!" he yelled.

"Well, ya know that I was really hurt when you ran out on me," the raven-haired boy grinned at the outraged redhead, "So, what was yer reason behind all that, huh? C'mon, you can tell me!"

"Uh," taken by surprised, Daisuke wracked his mind to come up with an answer, "I had to go home then! I promised my mother that I'd be home after having a really brief walk outside."

"Huh?" Takeshi raised an eyebrow, "A brief walk? And it was still daylight then. Or what, the soccer ball scared you too much?"

((You do know that you're horrible at lying, right?)) asked Dark, who had kept quiet during the journey to school, ((Couldn't you think of something that was more decent? How about a date with Riku?))

(Dark, not now!) as he did his best to keep his mind under control, Daisuke failed to notice that Takeshi had run off to meet some other friends. When he did work it out, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

(Well, at least he didn't try to pursue the subject.)

((For a reporter, he's pretty shallow,)) Dark yawned, ((Well, I'm off to bed again. Don't wake me up if you get scared. Night.)

Instantly, Daisuke's mind was filled with his other half's snores, and he shook his head before he entered the school grounds. It wasn't long before another voice – a female's – called out to him.

"Niwa-kun!"

"Takada-san?" the redhead turned to face the speaker. It didn't take long for her to catch up to him.

Takada Akane smiled calmly as she brushed her bangs out of her eyes, her eyes sparkling with the familiar glow he had seen many times before. She had transferred to Azumano Junior High only half a year ago, and both she and the redhead had become good friends over the short time period. Because of this, rumors had begun, but the two had managed to squash them before anything serious had happened and Akane had managed to fit into the school easily.

"So, had a nice holiday?" she asked, still smiling and he shrugged before replying.

"Ah... I guess..."

At this, she frowned.

"Niwa-kun," started Akane, her tone falling to slight worry, "You know... um..."

After a moment of silence, she shook her head decisively.

"It's nothing," she smiled again, "Well, we better get to class. I'm sure Riku-chan and Risa-chan are already there."

Daisuke nodded in acknowledgement and the two went to their new homeroom and entered. Instantly, Akane was flocked by some of her friends and the redhead edged away so that he wouldn't be crushed. At the call of his name by another familiar female's voice, he couldn't help but smile.

"Riku-san, Harada-san, hi," he said, as he went over to the twins.

The two girls returned the greeting and Riku, the older of the twins, spoke up, "How were your holidays, Niwa-kun? Did you do anything interesting?"

"Not really," he answered, "How about you? Didn't you go to America sometime to visit some relatives?"

"Yeah, and I missed all of Dark-san's appearances!" cut in Risa woefully, while Riku rolled her eyes in annoyance before returning to the redhead, who seemed to be trying hard not to laugh at the younger twin's display.

"She managed to get Ritsuko-chan to record ALL of Dark's appearances while we were gone," she explained simply, "But I still don't see why she cares about that pervert thief anyway."

She shook her head, her short, dark brown hair moving with each turn, "Why can't she just find herself a normal boyfriend?"

"Ah..." speechless, Daisuke blushed slightly as he watched her, but managed to shake himself out of it before she noticed.

The classroom was buzzing with noise and activity as friends talked among themselves. As he took his seat, the redhead was well aware that Satoshi was watching him, but his attention was suddenly focused on the door as it slid sharply open. The class fell deathly silent.

(What...?) his spine tingled unpleasantly, (This feeling...)

A boy that no one recognized entered the classroom. His hair was a silvery-white shade and he seemed fairly tall for his age. His eyes also seemed fairly glazed over as he took a displeasing look around the classroom.

As it settled in on the students that the newcomer wasn't a teacher, the talking began once more. Some people raised eyebrows when one of the girls suddenly muffled a surprised shriek and ran over the new boy. Confused, Daisuke turned away.

(Just then... when the door opened... I was sure, for a moment...)

"Niwa-kun."

"Huh?" as he lost his train of thought, the redhead saw Akane standing next to his desk. She was frowning, one hand placed over her uniform. At once he noticed what it meant, since the pendant that she usually wore rarely reacted in any serious way.

The pendant that she wore contained the power of the Thirteen Elements, which had been revived some time ago when Akane had first appeared, and its abilities and properties seemed to thrive within her. Both Daisuke and Satoshi – as well as Dark and Krad – had been involved with the revival of the elements and, although Daisuke wasn't too sure of the power it actually contained, but he knew the symptoms when trouble was around.

She nodded briefly at Daisuke's reaction and gave a pointed look at the boy. When he turned in the direction, he noticed that a large group of girls, about the same number of girls who chased Satoshi most of the time, were gathered around him.

"Him?"

"I think Mina-chan talked about him once on the phone," she said softly, her eyes never leaving him, "A new student in the school. It seems that he came from a private school in... France, I think, although why he moved to this school I don't know. He's supposed to be really smart and mature for his age, if you know what I mean."

She gave a small smirk at the resemblance between the two people she was thinking of, before continuing in a more serious note, "Something about him seems odd, don't you think?"

Daisuke bit his lip, as Akane turned away, "Takada-san..."

"I don't know what to say just yet..." she said briefly, "but something is going on..."

As he watched her go, he couldn't help but feel the cold feeling of uneasiness seep into him again and shuddered. At the back of his mind, he felt Dark stir again.  
  
(Dark?)

((Something doesn't feel right, Daisuke.))

(I know.)

((I'd be careful if I were you.))

(What?)  
  
Silence was the only reply he got from his partner and he frowned slightly in annoyance before taking another look at the boy. His amber eyes met with silver-blue ones, and he swallowed nervously as he quickly averted his gaze elsewhere.

Before anymore could be said, the school bell rang.

---- To Be Continued ---- 

Well... it could be worse... okay, this chapter went pretty well, but it took me a trip to hell and back to get this written down. Oh wait, I had this done ages ago, but with scattered beta readers and the fact that I can't access my own account that much, at least this can finally get there...

Hope this chapter satisfies all you readers out there that have been waiting for this, and I'll TRY to get chapter 5 done ASAP. Somehow I doubt that, but I can only hope for the best. Not to mention I've started another DNAngel fic...

It's called When Four Winds Blow (stupid name, I know, but I can't think of anything else at the moment) and it's a sequel to the Flames of Time, which is complete (yay!) so... read it? Not that it matters (although you get a complete analysis on Akane), but everything I'm doing at the moment is really scattered. Not to mention I've been banging my head on the wall and table for a very long time now... ouch.

Oh, about Akane Takada, for those who haven't read FoT, since she's a character in that: she's basically known as a Time Keeper (argh, I can't think of anything creative) and possesses all these weird magic powers. Okay, not all these powers, but she knows about Dark and Krad and has this weird kinda sensing device, and that's why she's like all strange and mysterious in so many ways. And, yes, I know this explanation about her stinks and you're probably more confused, especially about how Daisuke and Satoshi are involved, but the only answer I can give you on that could go on forever. So, if you really want that explanation, read the Flames of Time, cause that covers everything. Hm... her character is really off in the first few chapters, though, best watch out for that, right?

-- Thanking Reviewers Segment! Other people do it, so why shouldn't I??? Uhm... I hope you aren't too mad at me for not updating this until so late...

-neko-nya: Wah! I'm so sorry for not updating it earlier, but even with holidays (it's finished now. Pity) I've been up and around and in a lot of pain to get this done! Where's my brain these days?! Well, hope you like it and I'm glad you liked the tarot cards. I like em too.

-Kakarots-Frying-Pan: Thank you! My writer's block is no better, but I'm ploughing through it. Slowly but steadily. Chapter 5 is somewhere there, so hopefully I can get it done sooner, but I guess I can't make any promises with that. Glad you liked it that much! Back to the drawing board I guess!

-Rinkufan: I'm glad you liked it! And about One Too Many Crossovers, uh... that is a bit odd, isn't it? Well, glad you liked it!

-Staryday: Glad you liked it! Haha... Well, that's one more chapter down... this is fun! Kinda. Well, 'till next time, I guess! Thanks for reviewing for FoT! Love ya for that!

8/10/04: It's my birthday! Surprise surprise! Yeah, I'm a bit high about this info, so... well, I hope you liked this chapter well enough! It took me forever, didn't it?


	5. Chapter V: Who

Let me begin by saying that laziness has taken over me and I cannot escape it, no matter how hard I try. This chapter could have been up AGES ago, but no, I was too damn lazy to fix it up with the help of notes and beta-readers and all that. Why? Lazy was all, I think. That and the fact that I was working on a Christmas fic for the first three or more weeks when holidays started. Read it or not, I don't really care.

I am deeply sorry for making you all wait, and I don't think this is the best of chapters and all, but since you probably have been waiting for this, I will now present you to this half-baked chapter.

I will be hanging myself for this though… XP

--- Thanking Beta Readers Section: Once more the laziness comes to play. But at least I managed to remember to send this to one beta-reader. All hands to Staryday! -claps- You were probably wondering what happened to this after you sent it back, but it's here, with a few added parts at the end. And to my other beta-readers, Sachi-Ami and Rekkabooziegirl, I'm sorry for not sending this to you, but… yeah, it's all my fault. Once holidays started, I had a lot to do (-snorts- yeah right) but since I can only go on the internet once a week, that's the main reason to why I never sent it to you, or even talked to you… Sorry! -bows- I promise to send you the next chapter though (I'll try and remember to send it all beta-readers rather than forget) if I ever get around to doing it…

Disclaimers: I don't own this, nor can I control where this story will go. The darkness is taking over… oh yeah; I own the newer introduced characters, obviously. Yes, Akane and that weirdo that just appeared. All will be revealed later…

Summary for Chap V: Do we need this? A new student and strange visions.

Other:

() Daisuke

(()) Dark

:: Satoshi

:::: Krad

--------------------------------

Chapter V: Who...

--------------------------------

Their roll call teacher entered the classroom and silence blanketed the entire area instantly. All the students that had been standing around shuffled towards their own desks, leaving the new student on his own.

The teacher was a fairly large man, with thick rimmed glasses and a scowl constantly on his face, and he gave the boy who was still standing at the front a sharp glare of disapproval.

"You must be the new student," he barked in a gruff voice.

At this, the boy turned his gaze at the teacher calmly, regarding him for a moment before replying with a slight accent.

"Oui, Monsieur," he said, acting as if he was talking to a little child. "I'm the new student, non?"

A ripple of nervous laughter spread across the classroom. No normal student was ever rude to any of his or her teachers, especially this particular one. Dark had once wanted to take control over Daisuke's body so that he could "tell the old geezer what he thought of him" but the redhead refused. For his other half to do such a thing, it would be Daisuke who would have to be the one to face the consequences.

"That's nice," responded the teacher, a vein twitching in his temple because of the tone of voice the boy had held when he replied. "Your name?"

"Luke Jacques."

"Fine then, MR. Jacques," he pointed sharply at a spare desk close by, "You may take that seat for now, until we can arrange it properly."

"Oui, Monsieur," Luke bowed in mock respect before sauntering over to his desk and seating himself. He inclined his head slightly and crossed his arms across his chest, seemingly bored, and the teacher looked ready to kill.

Students began to talk in hushed tones at the lack of respect, but their teacher – seeing that they were preoccupied with certain matters that didn't concern school – hit the front desk with an audible 'thud', which silenced the entire room immediately.

"Now," he thundered, "Shall we begin?"

As he began to call the roll, Daisuke couldn't help but feel uncertain about the new student, and Dark wasn't one to disagree.

((He's weird.))

(…)

((And I think he's up to something.))

(I thought you were supposed to be asleep by now.)

((Well, I am.))

(Then why are you talking to me?)

((… I'm dreaming and talking in my sleep?))

(Right…)

"Niwa," called the teacher and Takeshi poked him with his pencil.

"Here," he replied, while giving his best friend an annoyed glance, who merely smiled innocently in reply.

The roll went without a hitch and all the while Daisuke found himself staring out the window, unable to think straight; with Akane muttering something strange and a new student, as well as the fact that Dark was hiding something, the redhead was merely getting a headache thinking about it.

"Now, when I call you, please come up for your timetables for this semester," the teacher rumbled, jerking the redhead out of his stupor. "We will be doing this in an orderly manner and no talking!"

Still sleepy from last night, Daisuke unconsciously rubbed his eyes to dispel the effects from lack of sleep. He stopped when he felt his spine prickle unpleasantly. Turning slightly in his seat, he expected to find the source to the feeling, but couldn't find any. He bit his lip at this, before turning back to the front of the classroom, where the teacher was currently explaining about where certain rooms were and who some of the newer teachers were.

Most of the time – especially when Satoshi was watching him – he could identify the feeling, but a new feeling of unsettling fear seemed to have descended upon him and it was obvious that – with the inclusion of unsettling dreams, the mist, Dark's strange reactions and Akane's words – something wasn't right.

"Niwa."

"Yes, sir."

Once Daisuke was back in his seat, holding his timetable, he contemplated on his general knowledge; the strange scenarios that he'd found himself in the last few days, they seemed to be connected with the next mishap in one way or another. While he thought it over, he found it almost impossible, that the large chain of events had begun with a single nightmare that he had one night, for some abnormal reason.

"Now don't get into any mischief before your teacher comes!" Barked the teacher sharply, nearly making everyone in the room jump at the sudden disturbance. Somewhere in the background Luke yawned and muttered something that only the students around him could hear. Some raised eyebrows while others stifled smiles, but it was clear that their teacher was doing his best to ignore it.

It was only then that the redhead decided to read his timetable. The rest of the class faded off into low murmuring of random discussions as they waited for their first teacher to show up. Unconsciously wanting to find a place by himself where he wouldn't be disturbed by anyone, he got up and made a beeline towards the door.

"Yo! Daisuke!"

Daisuke's concentration was broken as Takeshi came up to him from behind, slinging one arm across his shoulder and stopping him; which was better than him being caught in a headlock.

"What?" He asked instantly, while his best friend read his timetable for a moment.

"Looks like we have all our classes together again!" Takeshi proclaimed happily. "So that means I can copy your homework again as well!"

"Wha--? Can't you do it yourself?" Daisuke pouted. "Why do I have to do all the work, as well as the fact it was obvious that we would be having the same classes together…"

"That's 'cause I'm a reporter!" Came the answer as Takeshi cut him short and waved a hand airily. "And I have a lot of work to do when Dark's around, so I don't have time to do homework!"

The redhead couldn't help but think; (And I do it, even if I have a job that night… as Dark…)

"But it isn't like Dark comes every single night!" he protested. "So you still have time to do the work!"

"Are you two going to argue all day?" Akane watched them with raised eyebrows from her desk. "You're disturbing the peace in here with your caterwauling."

Daisuke turned his head slightly and noticed that the entire class was watching them with slight amusement while others shook their heads at the scene of chaos. He felt his face redden slightly, not one used to having attention drawn to him. Takeshi left him for a moment to talk to Akane – who replied shortly that she didn't want to hear anything about Dark – and then returned to his seat without another word, although he was grinning.

"Ah… thanks…" the redhead muttered nervously, well aware that Satoshi was watching him with the usual piercing gaze from the other side of the classroom. The class fell back into conversation as the blue-haired boy finally got out of his seat to join the nervous Daisuke and Akane, who looked somewhat concerned.

"You didn't look too well," Satoshi said softly, his face neutral, "And I wanted to ask a few questions about last night."

"I wasn't there either," Akane added. "So really… you and Dark are the only ones who actually know about what happened, Niwa-kun."

"Ah… last night?" Daisuke repeated weakly, as the memories flooded back on him. "Well, about that…"

"I think we should talk later," Satoshi cut in, "We won't get any privacy here."

"You're right."

Both Satoshi and Daisuke went back to their seats, leaving Akane on her own once more. Alone again, Daisuke lay his head on his desk as he tried to get his mind to function properly.

(Why does this always happen to me?) He asked himself.

"Hey, redhead," a voice said above him, with a slight detection of an accent mixed with it.

"Eh?"

Besides the fact that no one was that disrespectful to him – save Takeshi, who was always disrespectful and of course his alter-ego had a fun time always picking on him – Daisuke was caught by surprise and looked up blankly to face the speaker. As soon as he saw who it was, the redhead nearly fell off his seat in surprise and could only gape at the new student.

"Yeah, I was talking to you," Luke seemed unimpressed with the lack of Daisuke's response and crossed his arms. "So you're Niwa?"

"Yes," the redhead forced himself to remain calm, glad that Dark wasn't awake. "Is something wrong?"

"Ne vraiment pas, non," he replied, "But I must say, you intrigue me."

"Um…" Taken by surprise by the statement, Daisuke could only blink stupidly. ('Intrigue'… but why? And what was he saying before? Aah!)

"I must say that I'm pleased to meet you," Luke bowed respectfully, and something in Daisuke's mind clicked as he tried to give a plausible answer.

"Me too… uhm…"

To his relief the door slid open and a teacher entered. He coughed politely and all the students fell silent without question or argument, and the Teacher shuffled over to the front desk and set his papers down. An old man with a tuft of gray hair protruding from the center of his head and thin spectacles nodded slowly at the twenty-or-so students before him.

"Good morning, class, I'm sure you remember me," he started in a thin, creaky voice. "Did you all have a pleasant holiday?"

"Good morning Mr. Kusao," the class droned in return, not bothering to answer his question. It was clear that he forgot that he had even asked them, as he shuffled through a number of papers, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and nodded.

"Good, good," he mumbled, "Now, this year we will be covering--"

He began to talk about the 'fantastic' history that Japan held, and the wars that they got involved in and the types of 'fascinating' facts that they would be learning. The majority of students present merely ignored his ramblings and talked among themselves and what they'd done during their holidays until he finished.

"-- So are we all exited?" he finished, and the class agreed in unison, many confused with what he was going on about. "So, shall we begin this morning with--"

(Why can't I just go home already…) the redhead thought in his mind as the old man continued to ramble on. He stopped as, once more, the unpleasant sensation of prickling entered his spinal area, and he shivered unconsciously.

"-- Now don't forget that you have to --" continued the teacher.

(Who's there?) Daisuke forced himself to ignore the feeling and was relieved when the prickling began to subside. (What's wrong with me?)

The voice droned over the class – that was beginning to drift off into their own private worlds – and Daisuke also failed to keep his train of thoughts on what the teacher was trying to say. It was always the same on the first day of school; welcome, have a great time being here, hope you had a nice break from school, only to come back for more, let's all be good friends… the list could go on forever, if the redhead allowed it, but Dark had always had his time to annoy the host to no end and it somehow made the assemblies they had more bearable. Then again, with another being in one's head, what more could they ask for when they needed to talk to someone?

Daisuke's conscious slipped further into a sort of sleepy stupor as he tried to keep his head up to pay attention to what the teacher was saying. The attempt failed miserably and he gave into sleep, which was about the only option he had left.

---

Something about the new student tugged a nerve in the back of Satoshi's mind. He didn't know what it was exactly, but the feeling wasn't good – not anymore than him knowing that Krad lived in him – and he could only glare at the new boy, not wanting to make any sort of contact with him.

When he had heard him enter, an instant wave of unsettling disorder seemed to have descended upon the blue-haired boy and seemed to fill the entire room, and the news about it was less than happy thoughts.

::You know something's wrong.::

:What are you doing awake at this time of day?: Demanded Satoshi, somewhat surprised that Krad was actually awake.

::I only woke up because of the disturbance of the peace from the outside world as you already know, Satoshi-sama,:: was the lazy reply he received.

:You felt the disturbance as well?:

::Of course.::

:…: Satoshi tapped a pen he was holding against the flat surface of the desk and watched the other, silver-haired boy from the corner of his eye. There was something definitely strange about him, especially the way he had confronted Daisuke before the teacher had entered. The blue-haired boy was bound to find a reason to him moving to the school.

Something about the entire situation didn't feel right and – if Akane's words were correct – why would someone as smart as Luke need to go to a school like Azumano Junior High; Daisuke hadn't been the only one to hear what she had had to say about him.

He directed his gaze away from the other boy and turned to see what Daisuke was doing, since the smaller redhead was two or three rows in front of him. The redhead had an elbow against the desk and was clearly in no mood, or position, to be paying attention to what the teacher had to say. Not that it was much, but it was clearly showing that he had a low attention span. What was left of the sun streamed into the room and created odd patterns against walls, tables and over students, many already giving up on listening to the old man. The redhead was clearly worried, if not scared out of his mind.

Something that Satoshi would have to work out on his own; no doubt, not that he really cared. He was more used to working alone than with a partner of any sort, so it all worked out in the end.

---

He knew that he was walking, but where, he had no idea. The familiar tapping of feet against tiled floors filled his ears as he wandered aimlessly into the unknown, eyes only half-focused on what was before him. An odd, inner-peace, seemed to have settled over Daisuke as he walked, mind not thinking straight.

The entire scenery before him was serene and at a complete sense of peace that he hadn't felt for a long time. The colours of the spectrum glistened off a lake close by as he passed it, creating an almost perfect atmosphere.

That was what jerked his mind to think straight; why would a lake be placed where he was and where was he exactly?

The redhead jerked around on his right foot and the shimmering of the light onto the water danced off his wide, amber eyes. The tiled floors also glistened in the strange light, and he shivered as he looked around: everything was wrong; he wasn't supposed to be there.

"Dark?" He called desperately. His voice hung in the still air for a moment before fading off into an almost pitiful whine. Silence was the only answer he got and he bit his lip. "What…"

An invisible force hit him from behind and he fell against the cold floor. The sudden attack made Daisuke jump up, almost instantly, and search wildly for where the source was. The entire scene seemed to be still and peacefully serene as he looked, even more confused than before.

The he felt it: the cold, eerie feeling, that he had only felt a few times, but was enough to make his skin crawl.

He scrambled backwards across the stone cold tiles, trying to keep as composed as he could. His mind screamed for him to run away, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from what was in front of him. Lifeless tendrils of mist trailed across the walls and floor and shapeless images formed themselves around him. The feeling became almost overwhelming for the redhead and he curled up, dreading the worse.

"What… what's going on…?" he whispered.

"… _ke…"_

"Eh?"

"_Dai… suke!"_

"Dark?!"

"_Daisuke!"_

_---_

"Niwa-kun!" Yelled a voice in his ear.

Jerked out of wherever he had been, Daisuke gave a muffled yelp and fell to the floor, head connecting painfully with the smooth surface.

Saved.

But now his head was throbbing, and he was sure that that one vision – or whatever it was – wasn't going to be his last for a while. Not much of a reassurance, but he could feel Dark's presence and that was enough.

The redhead shivered slightly, not moving, as he thought over what he had seen.

It was close, whatever it was was very close to him and it scared him.

What was it?

"Niwa-kun?" Asked the voice that was now above him. Daisuke looked up from his position on the floor.

---

"_Je testament être là… bientôt tu testament savoir._

"… _Ou ne."_

_---_

Well, there you have it. I'm surprised I managed to get it up at all. Wowowowowowow... now let's never speak of it again. And with the last part... well, I'm not telling you what it say, figure it out yourselves! Why? Well, it's not that vital, but it's a bit strange and I really need to work on my french...

Now, here's the deal. If I take way too long to do a fic, I won't blame you for either pestering me or giving up on me. It's in my nature to annoy others, so I hope you understand... kinda.

-- Thanking Reviewers Segment!

-neko-nya: Ahahahaha... soon. Soon meaning, what, two or so months? Man,I am so proud of myself! Hm... should consider pairings, but it depends on what happens for the next few days, I think. I'll think about it, though, and if I find it fitting... just maybe... XO

-Kakarots-Frying-Pan: Sorry for making you wait, I'm just a lazy lazy person who has to deal with many mental blocks and kicks just to try and do somehting. Hope this chapter isn't a disappointment for you, but I honestly think it was... thanks for the review though! :)

-Staryday: Right... hell it was and hell it is. Actually, it wasn't that bad. Uhm... had to add that last bit, but other than that, I hope it's fine. Now... what am I supposed to do now...

-kat himura: thanks for the review! Don't know if you're still around, but if you are, here's the update.

-Liliath: ha... guess we're the same then. I'll try and do a faster update, then, okay?

OKAY! THAT'S MY NEW YEARS RESOLUTION! Only five more minutes... HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!


	6. Chapter VI: Questions, yet no Answers

o.O GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA----h! How long did it take me to freakin' post this up! I'm so so so sosososososososososoooo sorry to everyone out there who read and reviewed this fic! I don't know what came over me and everything! Aaahh… (sobs) I feel like an idiot now…

Five months since the last chapter? Okay, I have no idea what I was doing… guess I broke that year's resolution pretty easy, huh?

Thanking Beta Readers Section: Staryday and Rekkaboziegirl, thanks for all your wonderful help and tips! (group hug) I did listen to most to all advice given… although some I was like… well, you know. (shifts eyes) Oh yeah, I took forever and hey, whatever. You guys were great though. And… uh… Sachi-Ami? Where'd you go? You haven't replied for a long time…

Disclaimers: If I owned anything, would I tell you?

Summary for Chap VI: Daisuke feels like he's being stalked, Dark seems to be really out of it, Satoshi confronts with Luke, and Luke is… being very mysterious. The pathway to doom seems to only stretch further at this point…

Other:

() Daisuke

(()) Dark

: Satoshi

: Krad

Also, there are translations to the (very little) French placed in this chapter.

* * *

Chapter VI: Questions, yet no Answers

* * *

Daisuke looked up to see who had woken him from what could only be described as a nightmare gone terribly, terribly wrong. 

… Oh.

It was no one other than his crush and girlfriend, Riku Harada. She blinked down at him as he stuttered an apology to her.

"Ah! Sorry! Sorry! Riku-san…" he stopped when he noticed that they were the only ones still in the classroom, "Is… something wrong?"

"The entire class went to the library, since the teacher noticed that we weren't really paying much attention to what he was saying…" Riku gave the redhead a concerned look. "Doesn't that hurt, Niwa-kun? Staying in that position…"

"Uh…" Daisuke blushed as he sat up properly and rubbed his throbbing head, "Yeah, a bit. Sorry about that…" Riku merely smiled at him before waving the apology aside and the two made their way to the library. They were wreathed in an awkward silence, neither one wanting to say anything – Daisuke because he was embarrassed, and Riku was just feeling a little tense with being around the redhead on her own.

The library, which was placed on the bottom floor of the school, was currently full of students and a bit too much noise, since the teacher obviously couldn't keep them inline. The librarians were looking strangely hostile, Riku noted as she was quickly dragged off by her sister, leaving Daisuke on his own. The redhead sighed slightly before sliding past a group of students currently engrossed with a murder and mystery novel and flopped down on the uncomfortable seats that were placed on the opposite side of the room.

He really didn't want to think too much about what had happened just a few minutes before, but he was certain that he had heard Dark's voice near the end, before Riku had called him. Hesitantly, he called to his alter ego. (Dark, are you still awake?)

((Zzz… come back in ten hours… zzz…))

(…) Daisuke sighed with relief, knowing that Dark's presence was still with him. It was strange, in a way, now that he thought about it: upon finding out that he was going to play host with the Phantom Thief, Daisuke had refused to accept his destiny and wanted nothing more than for Dark to leave him, but now… it just seemed right. Having been separated from his other half countless times before only confirmed the realization of just how strong the bond between the pair had become. Besides from the odd snide comment and embarrassing topics, Dark was quite tolerable.

Pulling a random book out from the shelf, the redhead took a seat next to Sekimoto – who was currently trying to keep Takeshi out of trouble – and flipped it over to read the title. It was blank. Daisuke wasn't unduly worried since many of the books in the library were over twenty years old – going on thirty – and there were a number of them that didn't actually have titles on the front. The redhead slowly opened the torn, faded cover and quickly scanned the first page…

"…?" Daisuke blinked. Nothing was written there as he flipped the pages through carefully, not wanting to destroy school property – that was left to Takeshi and the other rowdy students. Every page looked the same to him: aged and yellowed.

"Hey, Daisuke! What'cha doin'!" Takeshi asked unexpectedly, looking over the boy's shoulder. The redhead jumped slightly before snapping the book shut. "What kind of junk are you trying to read this time anyway?"

"Students, I asked you to take a book referring to the war in--" their teacher wheedled, but no one was paying attention. It wasn't strange to see the librarians become more hostile with each passing minute as the troublemakers of the class seemingly got louder. Daisuke chose to edge away until he was relatively safe with the students who were just sitting silently and reading. He sighed heavily, silently thanking Kami that Takeshi hadn't chosen to follow him.

"Niwa-kun, what are you reading?" The younger Harada twin asked curiously, coming over to see what he was doing.

The redhead could only shrug as he replied: "There's no title to the book."

"Really?" Risa blinked.

"Yeah. I mean--"

"Ri---saa---" called Ritsuko, waving the twin over while Riku stood next to her, "Come on! I think I found what you were looking for!"

"Ah, okay!" She smiled briefly at Daisuke, "See you later, Niwa-kun." Not waiting for a reply, she walked off. The redhead sighed as he returned to the untitled book in his lap and decided to put it back where it came from. As he slid it back onto the shelf, he felt someone watching him from behind and quickly turned, his crimson eyes darting back and forth as he scanned the library. Most people were preoccupied with annoying the librarians and the teacher, but no one was looking in his direction.

How… odd. He always had that sixth sense, ever since Dark came into his life, but he couldn't find who was watching. Giving up for the time being, Daisuke chose another book and went off.

Hidden behind another bookcase, a shadowed figure hummed to itself.

"… Ainsi…"

---

"Niwa-kun, you don't look too well, you know," Akane pointed out, as lunch finally came around. Satoshi had disappeared without a trace – as usual – so the other two had set off to the school roof, knowing that the blue-haired boy was bound to be there. Daisuke shook his head silently and continued to stare at the floor tiles below him. "Is something the matter?"

"Well, besides everything…" he muttered, not really in the mood to talk about it. Too many questions were popping up in his head and his mind was in a whirl – which then led to a rather painful headache.

"I see…" she fell silent, seemingly aware of Daisuke's current mood and allowing him some thinking time.

And thinking was about all he could do. He hated how everything seemed to revolve around himself and Dark, since it always meant someone else got hurt and he was never going to have a normal life. Never.

It wasn't that he hated having Dark inside him – even if the thief made constant attempts to embarrass him and annoy him at the worst possible times – since he had someone who truly understood him now. But there was just no chance of the redhead ever living life like another nobody – just a person who lived in and out without worrying about what was going to happen the next night.

And despite the close call that had happened just last night, Dark was going out to steal another art piece again. Daisuke couldn't even remember what it was…

And that was because too much had happened in that short amount of time. He was considering telling his family about it – no, he really had to tell them – but Dark seemed rather self-conscious on the topic and insisted that the matter would come to pass on its own.

Ha ha… yeah right.

---

The sky was as blue as any other day and Satoshi was just sitting on the roof for the last… however long he had been sitting there. Lunch had started ten minutes back, so that was about how long he'd been here. He was just thinking – nothing in particular, since his brain didn't seem to want to cooperate, for the time being – and looking disdainfully at the bag that held his lunch… if it could be called that. Then he wiped his glasses for no apparent reason.

Well, it was either that or talking/listening to Krad ramble on about who knows what: probably about killing certain purple-haired thieves and redheads.

That topic got boring really fast, so the blue haired boy had learnt to ignore the blonde whenever they got pulled into that discussion. If it could be called that, anyway - he wasn't too sure anymore.

He stopped his musings and started slightly when he noticed the door opening very, very slowly. Then he saw a silver haired person poke his head out, almost cautiously.

Oh. Him. The new student who was apparently very popular, not to mention very smart, or something. But it wasn't that that caught Satoshi's attention, but the fact that the same person obviously had something in the back of his mind – something that shouldn't be there. Like Krad – or Dark – but not exactly. Not to mention he seemed to have some sort of interest in Daisuke, since he had talked briefly with the befuddled redhead before moving off again, leaving said boy looking worried and confused.

Satoshi remained silent, not gaining the boy's attention, who stepped out onto the roof. Luke moved until he had reached the edge of the school roof and leaned over it, watching the scenery below him, remaining completely silent as he did so.

The blue haired boy could only frown; how long had it been since someone else had come up here without noticing him at all? He doubted there was such a time. But before he could think of what to do – bail or stay and talk – Luke began to speak, not turning.

"So, you enjoy the scenery up here then?"

This received a raised eyebrow, "Does it really matter to you?"

At that, Luke turned to face Satoshi, smiling disarmingly, "Are you Hiwatari-kun then? I've heard a lot about you."

"Really?" Something in the back of the blue haired boy's mind, which, for once, wasn't Krad, tugged at him warningly, but it wasn't really necessary, since he wanted to stop the conversation anyway. "So, what brought you up here?"

"It's more peaceful up here, oui?" Replied the boy, still smiling, "I can see why you enjoy it so much." The smile then faded into a smirk, "Or maybe you're scared, mon petit cher?"

"What are you talking about?" Okay, something was definitely wrong with this guy, Satoshi could see that clearly, so maybe it was time for him to leave before something really bad happened.

"Hiwatari-kun, sorry, are we disturbing you?"

Satoshi turned as he saw Daisuke and Akane walk up to him. "No." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glared at Luke, who continued to smirk.

"Well, I best be going," he said briefly, "À bientôt." He gave the redhead the same smirk he'd been giving Satoshi but stopped slightly when he saw Akane. His face was neutral for a second before being replaced by a bored look and he left, closing the door behind him.

"What a weird guy," commented Akane, bemused.

"I think you mean that in more than one way," muttered Satoshi.

"What were you talking about before we came?" Daisuke asked, out of mere curiosity. All he got was an unreadable look.

"Nothing you have to worry about." The blue haired boy then took a seat on the roof's surface again. "We're here to discuss what happened last night, correct?"

"Yep," Akane nodded briefly and went over to where Luke had been only seconds before. "So, what happened first, Niwa-kun?"

Daisuke shifted, uncomfortable for a moment, talking with a well-awake Dark before beginning his explanation.

---

"So let me get this straight," began Akane, "You were stalked by this thing as soon as you got into the museum?" Daisuke nodded and she frowned, playing with the end of her plait as she did so before fumbling for the pendant she wore. "You didn't make any contact with the spirits?"

"No."

"Hm…"

"I was only there when the mist faded," muttered Satoshi, more to himself than anyone else as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "And Dark wasn't cooperating either."

"…" Daisuke ducked his head for a moment, not really sure on what to say with such a comment; it wasn't like Dark was telling him everything either, so it left him in a state of complete and utter confusion. His other half then promised that he would be told everything later, but only when the time was right.

Apparently, the time was never right.

"So you don't remember that much from last night, and Dark was the only one awake to see it all…" said Akane in a low voice, now swinging the crystal around and deep in thought. "Out of curiosity, was there any other time before this attack that you were being… stalked? Anything out of the ordinary happen to you?" Daisuke looked startled for a moment before opening his mouth to answer.

"Well--"

((Don't tell them!))

The redhead froze mid-sentence, surprised at the panic he had heard from Dark. He was about to tell them about the nightmare and then the whole Fortune Teller incident, but now he wasn't sure what to say.

(Dark?) He started hesitantly. (Are you okay?)

((I'm fine,)) came the sullen reply, ((Just don't tell them what happened before that.))

(What? Why?) Panic began to bubble into Daisuke's thoughts.

((Because this is something that can only be handled by us. Don't let them get involved.)) Then Dark refused to speak and the redhead sighed, depression almost overwhelming him.

"Niwa-kun?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry," that also meant he forgot that Satoshi and Akane were watching him carefully.

"So something did happen before this," the blue-haired boy asked softly, staring at Daisuke with an odd expression – was it pity? Or perhaps it was sympathy. The redhead couldn't tell.

"No, nothing happened before that," mumbled Daisuke, trying hard not to look guilty – he would respect Dark's wishes for the time being and had no intention of getting any of his friends involved with such a case. It could be dangerous and he didn't want anyone hurt. "Really," he insisted for emphasis, as Satoshi raised an eyebrow.

The atmosphere around the three was suddenly very stuffy and extremely tense and the redhead finally decided it was time to bail out, before he snapped and told them. He was just too worried to think straight, especially with the dream/nightmare he had had during class…

Excusing himself quickly, Daisuke left the area and, as soon as he was out of sight of the two, fell into an all-out run. He had no idea where he was going, but the overwhelming reality of the dangers he and Dark were facing were unbearable.

He wanted to run away from it all – for even just a moment – but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. After a while, the redhead just sat down on the cold floor of the hallways and mused.

What was it that scared him? What was it that was making him so afraid? Why had a mere dream scared him so much?

Where were the answers?

---

Akane had her head bowed as the door to the school roof – the only entrance and exit – swung closed behind Daisuke. Satoshi was the only person who didn't seem too worried about what was going on.

"He's hiding something," was all he muttered. Akane raised her head to look over in his direction, but he had his back turned to her.

"Like he said, he wasn't conscious when this all happened – Dark was. And Dark obviously doesn't want any of us to know what happened."

"But what happens if it's serious?" She asked.

"Then it's his problem. If he wants to tell no-one, and it leads to his downfall, there's nothing anyone can do about it." He stated coolly.

"And what happens if Niwa-kun gets hurt?"

"Then Dark brought it upon himself."

"… Maybe he's just scared," Akane decided out loud, "Maybe he just doesn't know what to think of the situation and he wants to keep it to himself until he can get the answers he wants."

"… Takada."

"Eh?"

"You were around during Dark's previous lives, watching over him, correct?"

"Well… yes… but I don't see--"

"Do you know if he had any other enemies? Enemies that could use mist and shadows as their weapons…"

"… What are you…"

"You know what I'm trying to imply here."

"…" Akane bowed her head slightly, as if trying to remember something. Then she shook her head while Satoshi watched her carefully. "No… except for Krad, I don't think there was anyone else who wanted revenge on Dark in that way."

"…"

"But then again, Dark was still in existence long before my birth, so you never know."

"…" The blue-haired boy frowned. "But there's someone after him."

"And they haven't shown themselves until now," she added, "For now, all we can do it watch, wait, and hope."

"Hope?" Satoshi raised an eyebrow. Akane almost smiled.

"Hope that no one gets too hurt before we work out what's going on."

---

Lunch ended in silence without any other ripples of disturbances for any of the students – Daisuke in particular – and as the school bell rang across the grounds to commence the day, he wasn't exactly in the lowest spirits, but he was getting there. Even Takeshi seemed worried about him enough to not choke the redhead to death, but then again, no one could really pinpoint what was going on.

So the only thing they could do was leave him alone and hope that he wasn't sick or something to that similar nature.

A single breeze swept over the streets, flapping away leaves that were on the footpaths. Students were already making their ways home and there was barely anyone in sight. Clouds stretched over the sky and all of this was ignored by the redhead as he made his way home.

Dark still wasn't speaking and something about it was unsettling. Especially with the dreams, the fortune teller, and then him getting locked out of what had happened when the mist came…

Daisuke shook his head slightly to clear the thoughts away.

Maybe he was getting paranoid.

…

But then again, maybe he wasn't.

---

"Don't let Dark get away this time!"

"Protect the artwork, no matter what he does!"

"He won't get away this time!"

As usual, the police were in the targeted museum, trying to stop Dark from stealing whatever art piece he was after. Even after the well acquainted knowledge that they would never be able to catch him, no matter how hard they tried.

But accepting such a fact seemed ridiculous to the people and so the continuous loop of take and run continued without fault or delay.

'…' from another building close by the museum – that was crawling with guards – Akane watched the processing with little interest, 'So, even now they keep trying… hm…' She made as to stand up but successfully tripped over herself. "Nggghhh---!"

Pushing herself up, she looked up at the sky, "What…" She fell silent but after a minute she sighed and walked off, trying to keep her balance as best she could. '… I wonder what that was…'

As she disappeared from the scene, there was a sudden yell. "Dark got away!"

"WHAT!"

"We still have a chance. After him!"

---

Dark was currently on the roof as he sped gracefully away from the catastrophe below. ((See? Didn't I tell you it would be easy?))

(Isn't it always easy?) Daisuke shot back, (But… at least nothing happened this time.)

((Must've just been our imagination last time,)) the Thief offered simply, ((You get easily stressed, Dai-chan, so it's only natural.))

(But it's usually your fault in the first place!) The redhead said indignantly, (You're the cause of all this!)

((Yep, I hear you,)) smirking, Dark continued into the inky blackness of the sky. As this was so, he – and his host – were completely unaware that someone was following behind them.

:Keep out of this, Satoshi-sama.:

:And watch you hurt them:

:But you said you wanted to catch Dark.:

:… So you're planning to kill him as soon as you get a hold of him.:

:No, I plan to see what the cause of all this is first, and then kill him.:

:Over my dead body you will.:

There was a thin, humorless chuckle from the statement.

:So you say, Satoshi-sama. So you say.:

---

Okay, final notes and quick translation:

Ainsi: so

Oui: yes. (okay, who didn't know that?)

Mon petit cher: It literally means boyfriend or something like that (so girlfriend is petite cheré I think) but Luke's just using it to, well, taunt Satoshi really. It don't mean anything literally. (I have also come to understand that it can also be petit ami and petite amie respectively… so yeah.)

À beintôt: Means 'see you soon' or something so yeah. That's about it.

Oh dear. Well, I mean… I don't know why this took so long to get this up. Really, I don't know why I didn't get this up… ages ago. Honestly, I had this for ages and I didn't touch it, even after getting it beta-ed and all. Oh well. I don't think this chapter was bad… but eh.

And please don't say too much about my horrible French. I know it's not great, so whatever.

Reviewers Segment:

Rekkaboziegirl: Ah… I feel terrible now… but I'm working on the next chapter finally… it could take me forever…

neko-nya: Ahahaha… five months. Oh well, I've been busy, or something. Okay, I've been doing other things. XD Took me forever to update, so… (hides)

Mujyakina-Hitokoroshiya: Really now? (looks over at Luke, who glares back) Oh dear, don't you like the compliment? (Luke: Don't start with me.) Yup, he likes the compliment! XD Hm… at the rate I'm going… who knows. Maybe, maybe not… kinda hard to tell at this point. Thanks for the review!

Kakarots-Frying-Pan: Aaaaah… now I feel really guilty of taking forever for this fic. I'm so sorry! (bows) I'm so glad you like the chap and all… and I'll try really, really hard to get the next chapter up sooner! Waaaaaaaaah! I'm so horrible…

Shadow Guardian of the Gate: Erm… savior? I don't… know… anymore… (sweat drops) My French is really bad… so who knows… Sorry for the no update 'til now…

xpeachiex: Actually… he was supposed to say not really, so… yeah, I messed it up. Whoo-hoo. (rolls ayes at own stupidity) I'm learning French, but I'm so bad at it, I don't know why I continue… same goes for this chap. I'm glad you like the story though.

I feel so stupid now… I can't believe that I left this story for so long… anyway, sorry again and, uhm… I'll try to update sooner… but you know… got other things to work on… and stuff…


	7. Chapter VII: All a Part of Life

Yup, took me forever, although I'm going to blame it on… exams! Stuff! Assignments! And anything else in-between… so yeah. That's about it. And anything else I want to say… I've forgotten.

--- Thanking Beta Readers Section: Special thanks to Staryday, seeing as she was the only person I managed to get a hold of. Rekkabooziegirl had an error on the computer and SachiAmi… I can get a hold of. ;.; I'm buggered… So ignore all stupid grammatical errors and stuff.

Disclaimers: I own it not. Aside from Luke and Akane… and the mention of anything that has nothing with DNAngel.

Summary for Chap VII: Krad comes into the picture and hits a nerve; that is, a nerve concerning the past…

Other:

() Daisuke

(()) Dark

: Satoshi

: Krad

--------------------------------

Chapter VII: All a Part of Life

--------------------------------

As the shouts of the indignant guards faded away into the night sky, Dark couldn't help but grin at the trouble he had caused. Sure, he'd been doing this for a couple of months now, but it was the only thing worthwhile doing lately; minus the fact that now his host was being haunted by strange, eerie dreams.

But with the stealing coming off on top with nothing irregular, Dark felt like everything was back to normal: even if it was going to be short-lived. Daisuke was grumbling in the back of his mind, but the purple-haired kaitou ignored it as he debated on if he should just return to the Niwa household or flirt with people; Risa in particular. He knew how much his host hated the latter option, but that made it even more enjoyable and entertaining to see how worked-up the little redhead could get.

The debate was brief, though, when a white feather streaked past his shoulder and buried itself on a tiled roof close by. Even if it hadn't been resonating with a strong aura of magic, Dark would have known who it was the moment it fell.

Why else would white feathers be thrown around as darts in the middle of the night?

Slowly, he turned with his trademark smirk, and greeted the person behind him.

"Well, who would have thought you'd decide to come out on such a pleasant night," he commented, tone light and airy, "Krad."

The blonde didn't seem impressed with the display and prepared another spell, "Don't give me that heart-to-heart crap this time, Dark. You won't get out of this alive."

The purple-haired thief braced for the attack, knowing that he really couldn't go in for the kill, seeing who Krad's host was. The fact that Satoshi was involved – and considered a friend by Daisuke, nevertheless – the redhead would never allow a situation as that to happen to him; even if the blonde was on the verge of killing him. Indeed, at that very moment said redhead was fidgeting nervously and was getting ready to voice his thoughts.

((Don't start,)) Dark muttered, before his host could open his mouth, ((And I'm not going to kill anyone unless it's totally necessary.))

(…)

Returning to the current problem, Dark swerved out of the way before Krad's magic attack hit him and then gave the Hikari curse a glare. "I should have known that you'd have no consideration whatsoever."

"Well then, maybe you should just answer some of the questions we're all asking you," the blonde replied smoothly, his pure white wings barely moving as he remained hovering. "You always did like hiding very… important pieces of information when you thought it was the right thing to do. Even your hosts were unaware of the situation, hm?" He watched Dark's reaction carefully, before continuing. "Yes… I do believe that that was the cause to the first death of someone very important to you… what was her name again?"

"Shut up!" It seemed that Krad had hit a very sensitive topic and Dark lunged, slamming a fist into the side of the blonde's face.

Easing back out of reach, Krad placed a hand lightly over the bruise, not looking shocked or in pain. Rather, he seemed amused. "So you still have an attachment to that girl? I suppose I can't blame you. You were right there, and you watched her die…"

This time, Dark didn't even think and summoned his own branch of magic, sending a high-powered stream of energy right into the blonde's chest and knocking him back. Coughing at the impact, Krad's eyes narrowed dangerously and he counter-attacked. During this time, both hosts were calling for them to stop.

((Dark! You have to stop this!))

:Why the hell are you trying to provoke fights all the time? I swear, if you really do end up killing Dark and Niwa…:

They were promptly ignored by their alter ego's, who continued the fight without too much notice of the dangers they presented to the houses around them and the people below them.

---

Hm… the plan was going a lot more successful than he gave it credit. Swirling one hand in the water close by, he watched without too much emotional change as the two winged-beings fought both far-and-close-range, creating more chaos than what one would have thought.

But how had the blonde managed to provoke the thief so easily? The person mused to himself, as he raised his hand. The droplets of water held for but a moment before falling once more, and he managed a slow smirk in the shadows.

So, this was how it was going to be. Some people were so easily manipulated. And they weren't even people, now that he thought about it. Beings in beings: certain curses on their part. How… very interesting…

It was obvious that in the end there would be a lot of pain, but no one would die with this little… outburst. Oh well, he was looking forward to it.

This little game that he had planned would be just the thing.

He was willing to wait.

Getting up in one fluid movement, the person shook his hand free from the remaining droplets and walked off, followed by a mist that trailed behind him.

---

Dark wavered for a moment, gritting his teeth to numb the pain that shot through his whole body from the fight. Krad didn't look any better off, but the amused smirk was really beginning to get to the thief's nerves. Rubbing his forehead, he was then reminded on how much magic he'd used and the troubles it would pose for Daisuke.

((Why won't he just die already?)) He grumbled as he dodged another attack.

(Dark! Don't think like that!) The redhead reprimanded him. Seeing that Dark would never listen anyway, he hadn't tried too hard to stop him at first, but if he was actually thinking about killing Krad… (We should just leave already!)

((I'm not going to let this go!))

Daisuke frowned at this, as Dark went back into an offensive stance. What had hit his alter ego so hard that he was so intent on killing? Whoever Krad had been talking about must have been very important to Dark, but… who was she?

At the most, he could always regain control and get away from all of this, but only if things got out of hand, and only then.

Meanwhile, the blonde was getting into his own verbal argument with his host, and that wasn't going too well either. Satoshi wasn't one to mince his words, and that is itself was never good, and Krad had to constantly tell him to shut up, to no prevail.

Dark's reaction to the situation, however, was actually quite understandable to him, but why he was still attached to that girl, he didn't know. He couldn't even remember her name; to him, she was just some other mortal.

The thief had always thought otherwise, and that was why it was the perfect bait to lure him with. He was a fool, really, getting attached to a mortal who would only die in the end of it. So there was no point to the matter and Dark had just been too… well, emotional seemed to be the only word that could be used.

Krad blocked another attack. This could be a very long fight, now that he thought of it.

---

A small breeze brushed by Akane as she made her way back home, if you could call it that. But she didn't seem too worried with the situation; there was too much on her mind already.

She couldn't help but feel sorry for Daisuke too. He didn't even have an inkling of what was going on and that had to be the worst case possible. What were you supposed to do? How could you prepare for something when you didn't even know what you were preparing for? It was just too much to comprehend in what little time there was left.

Then again, she didn't even know how long it would be before the answers came out. Despite her abilities, she couldn't see the future, and besides, it was always inconsistent and never solid in its form. And it didn't take a fool to notice that, whatever it was, was dangerous.

Hopping to one side as a late couple walked past her, hand in hand, Akane sighed a little and brushed her hair out of the way.

It was going to be a long night, wasn't it? The question made her face the facts and she reached for the pendant tucked under her shirt. It glimmered in the moonlight and she couldn't help but sigh again.

---

The clock chimed in the Niwa house and the vibrations resounded down the hallways. It would have been amazingly silent in there, if it hadn't been for the television in the main room, which was switched on for the report of Dark's next target.

Emiko was by the window, waiting for Dark, as the reports said that he had managed to get away yet again, and there was no other sign of him. Although she looked far from it, Daisuke's mother was actually quite worried about her son, especially with that one night when he'd had that nightmare. It had been so long since she'd seen him in such a state.

In the end, all she really could do was wonder what had happened. No one really knew.

Entering the room, Towa noticed how distracted the lady of the house was. "Ma'am…"

"Towa-chan," Emiko started, turned her head slightly to acknowledge the maid and artwork, "Is something the matter?"

"… Are you worried about Dark and Daisuke?" The Symbol of Eternity asked, inclining her head. Her usual cheerfulness was non-existent and was replaced with the same worry and fear that Emiko felt herself.

"I suppose," she replied softly, her gaze back outside. "It just feels a bit… off, for some reason. I can't explain it."

Towa joined her by the window. "The magic that surrounds all of us is wavering," she informed the Niwa. "There is an unbalanced force that threatens to hurt us all, ma'am. We should be careful."

---

Staggering home was the last thing that Dark wanted to do. But because he had used a lot of magic at one time, Daisuke was going to have to pay the consequences for it; and that was enough to make the purple-haired thief go home in his own body. It wasn't like they had much of a choice in the first place, Daisuke had pointed out before falling silent again.

Damn blonde. Who did he think he was, anyway? Never, ever in his life had he ever understood the connection between Dark's link with mortals; the human race, as they knew it. Krad just thought what he was saying was right and that no one else had a say in it.

It was so stupid, so pointless. So… so inconsiderate. Admittedly, Dark still couldn't understand why his host placed so much trust in Satoshi and all, but he still had feelings. Feelings that would never leave him, even when he did leave Daisuke in the end.

But what would his host feel then?

Dark was aware of the uncertainty of the redhead and felt sorry that he left his host hanging like that all the time, but there was nothing he could say about it. When it would happen, it'd happen; and there was no stopping it.

His thoughts lingered back to the brief and rather bitter conversation he'd had with the blonde. The Hikari curse. His complete opposite. It was strange, he never thought this way, ever, but the mention of the one person he had ever truly loved… it was just so depressing.

(… Dark?)

((Yeah?))

(… It's… nothing.)

Daisuke was probably curious as to who Krad had been referring to as well, mused the Thief. Well, one couldn't blame him for his curiosity streak, but it didn't make it a good thing. And in the end, Dark thought it was better to leave the past as it was and not to stir up any trouble.

It seemed that they were too late.

The one dream seemed to have set off a sequence of events which would spiral into something worse than what one would expect. One that they never wanted to dream about.

One that Dark never wanted to see ever again.

When he entered the homely atmosphere of the Niwa house, Dark was only vaguely aware of the congratulations he received for the successful theft and trudged upstairs. They didn't know about his past, or about what Krad knew. In the end, it was better that way, but now…

Now it was beginning again. A cycle that he had wanted to avoid so badly was just rearing itself again, ready to attack.

And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Once in the bedroom, Dark withdrew into the back of his host's mind. Daisuke collapsed on his bed, too drained of energy to change into his pajamas. It was just so strange, but his vision was merely a hazy image before him and he closed his eyes gratefully.

---

_Panting… desperate… fear…_

_Someone was running._

_There was nowhere to run; nowhere to hide._

_They had nowhere to go… and it was going to be too late._

_An evil that had never been seen before towered over them, relishing the fact that its' prey had finally stopped running. It was shapeless, lifeless, and the only thought in its mind was to destroy all…_

_There were two people, one a boy; the other a girl. Both didn't look very old and were incredibly pale as they watched the evil tower over them menacingly._

_The girl muttered something, but the boy couldn't hear. He was unsure of what she said, but when she took a couple of steps forward, he knew exactly what she was planning to do. He called out to her to stop, but she refused to listen._

_Darkness… pure evil…_

_And then… there was nothing._

---

The sound of the alarm clock going off at seven thirty in the morning made Daisuke groan unconsciously and he reached out blindly to turn it off. It was just too early to be out of bed and he needed the sleep after last night; Dark must have used more magic than he thought.

After a moment of waving his hand around, the beeping sound finally ceased to exist when his hand hit a button. With a small sigh, the redhead curled up under the sheets of his bed and tried to fall back to sleep. The problem with that, though, was that it was a school day; and Emiko Niwa wasn't one to allow her son to be tardy.

Right on cue, his mother burst in with energy that screamed 'coffee overload' and she began to tug at Daisuke's blankets. "Dai-chan! Time to get up or you'll be late for school!"

The redhead grumbled something incoherent under his breath and weakly tried to save his blanket from the grasp of his mother, only to fail miserably. Emiko peered down at him and frowned at his lack of reaction.

"Why aren't you awake yet?" She demanded.

"… Okay, okay," Daisuke sighed and he sat up, his eyes barely open, "I'm up." He stifled a yawn and his mother smiled again, dumping his blanket in his lap and leaving the room.

Once he was on his own again, the redhead tried to get the feel of his legs and stood up. He swayed for a moment, but once he was stable, he rubbed his eyes and headed to the bathroom.

And he was going to be late, at the rate he was going.

---

Even after the initial publicity that Dark managed to gain after a forty years absence, there were still articles being printed about him; and there were still fangirls out there fawning over him.

Risa Harada was one such girl; she clutched the newspaper article close to her chest, as if afraid that someone would take it from her. Riku, her older twin, rolled her eyes at this but didn't comment.

Walking to school together wasn't done all the time for the Harada twins, but when it did happen, they never really said much. The reason to this was because they would bicker and argue and the reason to that was because, without fault, Risa mentioned Dark and how great he was and… the usual. And that was something that Riku couldn't handle.

"Hey… Riku?"

"Hm?" Grunted the shorthaired brunette, not paying that much attention.

"I was wondering what you thought about the new guy."

"Jacques… kun?" The name was foreign, so it was just that much more difficult to pronounce, but Risa nodded, willing Riku to continue. "Well… I don't know. He seems… distant. Vague."

"A bit like Hiwatari-kun?"

"Yeah." Riku then gave her sister a suspicious glare. "Why? What's the point of wondering? He's new here and that's it. Or…" another thought hit her like sledgehammer, "You've dumped that pervert Dark and you're aiming for him!" Not that she cared in particular; she hated Dark, but the new guy was still… he was still a mystery to the rest of them.

Risa bristled at this, "No way! I would never do that to Dark-san! How could you say that, Riku!"

At this, Riku couldn't help but roll her eyes. She really couldn't stand another argument so early in the morning. Opening her mouth to retaliate, she was stopped when Risa managed to crash into someone. How that happened, no one was really sure. But what they did know was that the longhaired twin fell back and would have fallen over completely if Riku hadn't stopped her.

"Je suis desolé. Are you alright?" Luke's face didn't seem to alter that much from a firmly plastered bored look, but his tone was that of concern. Or lack thereof. No one could really tell.

"I-I'm fine," Risa replied shakily, still a bit off her head as she tried to gather what had just happened. "It was my fault. Sorry about that."

The exchange student didn't say anything at this, and just looked the two girls over, analysing them. Riku stepped in, seeing that her sister was trying to recollect her thoughts.

"I'm Riku Harada and she's my sister, Risa," she introduced to him quickly. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Actually, it was far from that. The shorthaired girl couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved at his presence, and the fact that he was staring at them wasn't exactly helping.

"It's a pleasure," Luke expressed formally, bowing to the two. "Did I hear mention of one Dark?"

Risa seemed to recover upon the use of the Thief's name. "Dark-san? He's one of the greatest thieves ever!" She squealed in excitement. Riku recognised this as a sign of the younger girl to begin a long-winded conversation about the Thief, and she really didn't want to hang around for it.

She would have left, however, but Luke looked interested in the Thief, and his question – however casual it was – made her stop to listen as well.

"How long has he been around?"

It wasn't anything too strange, but the back of Riku's mind said otherwise. And then it clicked.

How did he know about Dark? He had only been to school for a day and, although Dark was a main topic for the girls, why would he care so much about it in the first place?

She frowned slightly at this, as her sister went into the details about Dark and Luke seemed to be hanging onto every little word. Eventually, Riku saw that no one was paying her any attention at all and continued to make her way to school without them. Yet, there had been something unnerving about how Luke seemed so attentive about such a perverted thief; something in his eyes just gleamed with an instensity that was so obvious it was scary.

Riku forcefully pushed the thoughts out of her head.

Besides, why did she care about how much the new guy knew about some perverted Thief?

---

((You're late, Daisuke.))

(Must you state the obvious!) Daisuke shot back in exasperation. He stumbled slightly at the loss of concentration and Dark's laughter rang through his head. (Do you have to be so loud!) It also seemed that he was a bit on the touchy side for the day.

Dark gave a sarcastic sigh of exasperation. ((Yes, all high and mighty Wing Master,)) he said before falling silent again.

It was still quite a way until he reached the school, the redhead noticed, and a glance of his watch told him that if he didn't pick up the pace soon, he was going to be late. And he hated people staring at him, especially when he walked into an already settled-down classroom.

Cursing his luck – which included Dark using too much magic and the fact that he was now falling behind in his homework – Daisuke continued the journey towards school.

---

Translation:

Je suis desolé – I am sorry.

Not much to say, it'll be a long time before another chapter pops up, holidays coming up and… yeah. I'm trying to work out what the hell I was thinking when this first popped up, I have no idea anymore… o.O

Reviewers Segment:

Shadow Guardian of the Gate: Thank you XD Messing up the mind just seems to worm its way into the story before I know it… kinda like a bad habit…

Meestyna: Glad you liked the chapter and sorry for the messed up French. I can't even remember what I was intentionally trying to say there, so… sorry? It's not all that important though… It's not your fault; I'm just bad at learning other languages.

Makurayami Ookami: Thanks for reviewing :D I'm assuming that it's not all that bad then?

Blackangel576:) Thanks, and as for the person following them… I'm not telling XD (yes, I love cliffhangers) Sorry for the slow updating, but this story… seems to be complex yet not… so I get confused. Glad you like it.

Windchaser90: This story… really isn't even halfway done o.O maybe it is but… I don't know. I tend not to plan far enough before so… Questions, questions, questions. (grins evilly) Suppose you have to wait and find out what's going to happen.

Can't make any promises with updates… so I advise on either watching this story or if you're a regular visitor of the DNAngel section, then it should be fine. (gasps) OMG, this story is like a year old and I'm only up to chapter 7! (sobs)


	8. Mask I: Forgotten

Uh… something akin to interludes as such. It's just my way of pulling across characterization and deepening whatever plotline there is. So… uh… if you want a good idea of some… things… yeah. Mask as in… well, I think we can work it out in the end.

--- Thanking Beta Readers Section: These probably won't go through my beta-readers unless it's an actual chapter… as it is, this is not.

Disclaimers: Angst… who ever said I owned it?

--------------------------------

Mask I: Forgotten

--------------------------------

There are voices that deepen the wounds already there, inside of me.

Pains that will not go away.

No longer am I who I used to be. You would not recognize me; no one would.

It is too late.

We have gone too deep and we can't get out.

I stop.

I wait… I listen…

There are no words of comfort. Or if there are, they do not reach me. I cannot hear them, and I never will.

And that hurts.

It is just out of my reach, always, and that proves to be the worst of all. To have no comfort… and to hear them constantly; they never leave me alone and never will.

Even now, I can still hear them; your screams, your pleads, the yelling, the slashing, the ripping, the tearing, the hurt and the despair. The sobs that rose and fell during that time, the smell of burnt flesh tearing me inside… and your voice, faded, weak; no longer there. Gone with the mists of time…

I tried to get away from those memories. Constantly, I would turn to more desperate measures to leave it all behind.

They will not leave me alone, and I cannot run away from it. I never could, and I suppose I have given up hope.

Watching. I'm always watching this from afar.

Blood drips like a constant tap here, fear and hate mixing and fusing into one. They are very much the same in the end, for if one emotion leads to another, there will be nothing left but pain.

The world has no changed, has it? But I suppose I should have expected as much. Fools from the start and fools to the end. They fear death and pain, and try everything to get rid of them, but they never will. They can't. They fear for the worst, but only for themselves. They don't seem to understand.

But we have felt pain; and we still do. Every day, every night, every passing minute, I feel it, and I know that you do as well.

But…

You're gone.

I'm gone. What I was will never be again.

Our souls have already been eaten away. Slowly, surely, we were engulfed in the despairing evil. We can't right back and we never could; but you tried, you failed, and now you are gone. Leaving me to fend on my own and to suffer pain beyond belief.

I don't hate you, but I still wish you were still here. I cannot take this pain alone, and you knew it. But it is too late for that.

The darkness keeps swallowing me; I don't remember who I am.

If I found you, would you tell me who I am once more? To give my back what I lost?

Or would you have forgotten me as well?

---

It's not supposed to make sense, so yeah.

Reviewers Segment:

Priestess kurumi inu's sister: Glad you like it (hands over a cookie) Well… I'm not all that sure as to WHY he's called the Wing Master… or Tamer… Host is an obvious one… well, the manga doesn't pull all the strings in that area yet, sorry XS But I think it must have something to do with him hosting Dark… so yeah.

Makurayami Ookami: Satoshi and Luke should have a staring contest (nods head) that might clear up the problem… whatever it was…


End file.
